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The Essex Naturalist
Stenamma debile Foerster
Distribution
The late J C Felton checked a number of specimens from Essex and all but one
were S. debile. So far nearly all further specimens also seem be referable to S.
debile which has recent records from 25 localities. There are records of S.
westwoodi s.l. from another four localities which it has not been possible to
check but which are likely to be S. debile.
Habitat and Ecology
In Essex most records are from leaf litter in woodland or under thickets and
hedges. However several records are from grasslands as at Pole Hill meadow
(Mabbott 1994), Broom Hill (West Tilbury) and Fobbing Marshes.
Threats
Loss of old hedges in the countryside. The species may be adversely affected by
intense amenity pressure destroying the litter layer in woodlands adjacent to
urban areas.
Stenamma westwoodi Westwood
National status Unknown County status Essex Rare
Threat status Essex Threatened Frequency Ratio 1.0
Tetrad Percentage 0.2% Recorded 1km sq. percentage 0.4%
Distribution
The late J C Felton determined a single dealate queen from Broom Hill (West
Tilbury) as S. westwoodi (s.s.) and together with two males collected at