9
Yugoslavia in the 1920's until Chandler (1978)
captured a series in old Windsor Wood, all about the
cold ashes of bonfires.
I can now record that on 30.8.1981, in the Hatfield
Forest area TL 52.19, a total of fourteen females
and two males were taken by M. Hanson, G. Glombek
and myself. They were captured by sweeping low over
the cold ashes of wood bonfires. These heaps of
ashes were approximately two metres across and
spaced out along a ride and in an adjacent field,
all bordering a deciduous wood. The flies were
observed as they hovered five centimetres or so above
the ash.
It seems likely that now the habits of the fly have
been discovered collectors will capture it more
frequently. Indeed, it has recently been captured in
Cambridgeshire.
References
Chandler, P. J. 1968. Ent. Rec. V 80 pp 207-10.
Chandler, P. J. 1974. Proc. Brit. ent nat. Hist.
Soc. V 7 pp 1-4.
Chandler, P. J. 1978. Proc. Brit. ent. nat. Hist.
Soc. VII pp 24-9.
Collin, J. E. 1961. British Flies V VI p. 310.
I will welcome any records of Essex flies that members
may have. I will also be happy to identify any
specimens sent to me at 32 Edenhall Road, Harold Hill,
Romford. Specimens do not need to be professionally
set. They can be sent in any tubes, tins, matchboxes,
in fact anything uncrushable. They can also be kept
and sent pickled in methylated spirit.
D. A. Smith