5
The population by the R. Rom just south of the bridge east of Hook's Hall Farm
Dagenham, at TQ 517861-2, is again all female, with nine fully grown trees, one quite
young, as agin a new tree has grown up from the rootstock of a large tree that had fallen
from the base. One old tree has had professional minor surgery, and four new sapling
trees have been established from truncheons, and are now 7-8 ft. high.
The large well known tree at Chingford, just south of the Warren Pond on Epping Forest,
TQ398943, is however a male. We also have a new male to report from the R. Roding
between Passingford Bridge and Curtismill Green at TQ 509972 spotted by KJA from the
M25 motorway! Apart from the fact that it is leaning at a rather steep angle it seems quite
healthy.
Back to females again, two new ones have been discovered in the Hatfield Forest area,
one in the corner of a small pasture just west of Woodside Green, in the parish of Great
Hallingbury, at TL 515181 found by KJA(can be seen from the M11!), and the other on
the east bank of Hallingbury Brook at TL 503170 just west of the village of Little
Hallingbury, found by John Fielding. Both are huge trees, but both unfortunately are in
trouble. The Woodside Green tree has been partially bark-ringed by a voracious goat, and
the Hallingbury Brook tree is now in the garden of a new house, and during my visit was
being singed by a bonfire!
Keep your records coming in - don't assume that someone else must have already reported
any trees that you find. All these trees will be submitted to district councils for tree
preservation orders in due course, so you can do something to protect your favourite
Native Black Poplar by letting us know about it.
Ken Adams
Philanthus triangulum (Fabr.) THE BEE WOLF IN NORTH EAST ESSEX
There have been several reports in Essex Field Club Newsletters (1992 No.3; 1993 Nos
7&8) about the increasing spread of this nationally vulnerable solitary wasp.
On August 11th 1995, whilst surveying insects on the Middlewick Ranges in Colchester
(TM0022) I came upon an extensive breeding colony of this species situated on a south
facing slope at the back of the range butts. Several individuals were observed bringing in
prey, slung characteristically below their bodies. An individual was captured and its prey
proved to be the more usual Apis mellifera.
As far as is known, this is the first north east Essex record for this species since the
discovery of a small breeding colony at Fingringhoe Wick N.R. in 1986 (Falk, 1991 A
review of the scarce and threatened bees, wasps and ants of Great Britain).
Jerry Bowdrey
Editor's note: I found the species last year at Heybridge near Maldon and it was also
taken last year at Rushey Mead in north west Essex by Charles Watson. There are further
new records this year, in particular a colony of about 50 nesting tunnels has been
reported to me from the side of Alexandra Lake at Wanstead Flats by Amanda Samuels
and confirmed by Colin Plant.