The Essex Naturalist
77
Diodontus insidiosus Spooner
Nests in the ground, usually level but occasionally on a slope. The adult preys on
aphids.
The only Essex record is that mentioned in Hanson (1992) for Wanstead Flats
between 1976 and 1990.
D. luperus Shuckard
A ground nesting species, preying on aphids.
Two females taken by John Felton at Broom Hill (West Tilbury) on 28th July
1992 are our only records.
D. minutus (Fabr.)
A ground nesting species, preying on aphids.
Our many records relate to rather fewer sites, with only Wanstead Flats (M
Hanson), Mill Wood Pit, Dolphin Quarry, Dagenham Chase, Broom Hill (West
Tilbury), East Tilbury Silt Lagoons and Foulness Point on the list.
D. tristis (Van der Linden)
A ground nesting species, preying on aphids.
East Tilbury Silt Lagoons, Broom Hill and Foulness Point are the only localities
for which we have records.
Passaloecus clypealis Faester - RDB 3
Nests within galls of Lipara (Diptera: Chloropidae) on reeds, provisioning the
larvae with aphids.
Recorded for South Essex at Benfleet by Richards (1980), with no indication of
date. Recorded from South Essex by Falk (1991) without details but probably
referable to the Richards record. The only recent records are from a Phragmites
dyke at Ferry Fields (Tilbury) where a male was taken in 1994 (confirmed by G
Else) and a male and female in 1995.
P. corniger Shuckard
Nests in holes in timber, but also recorded in Lipara galls on reeds or rarely in
reed stems, stealing aphids from other species of Passaloecus or even from others
of its own species.
Listed for the Colchester area by Harwood (1884) without further detail. Apart
from this we have only recorded it at Upminster (P Kirby) and Plaistow (C
Smith) in 1984 and at Mill Wood Pit during 1994. It must surely be more
widespread than this.
P. gracilis (Curtis)
(= insignis misident.)
Nests are build in plant stems or abandoned tunnels of other insects in wood,
galls etc.
Listed for the Colchester area by Harwood (1884) without further detail. Listed
for Wanstead Flats and Sunshine Plain, Epping Forest between 1976 and 1990