Coleoptera at Hylands Park
Peter Hammond & Mark Hanson
Introduction
No recording of beetles in this interesting example of a pseudo-Medieval park appears to have
been done until the 1960s when a little general collecting of these insects was done by Peter
Hammond. The data from these collections and from later investigations, by Peter Hammond and
by Mark Hanson in the 2000-2003 period, have been assembled to produce the account of Hylands
Park Coleoptera presented here. Some 416 beetle species are now listed for the Park. In view of the
varied terrain of Hylands Park, incorporating woodland, herb-rich grassland, open parkland with
overmature native trees, gardens and a range of ponds, and now including a stretch of the River
Wid, this total may represent approaching one half of the number of beetle species actually present
at the site. Twenty of the species listed below are categorised as Nationally Notable (N, Na or Nb)
by Hyman & Parsons (1992, 1994). Information on the previous occurrence in Essex of these
species is provided by Hammond (1999, 2000).
Scarce and unusual species
For four of the species found at Hylands Park there are no previous Essex records. Two of these -
Gyrophaena bihamata and Orthoperus nigrescens - are relatively widespread (but generally
woodland associated) species that may be expected to occur more widely in Essex. Cossonus
linearis is a little recorded species that is known from scattered sites in south-east England (Morris.
2002). Most usually associated with moist decaying wood of poplars and willows, the host tree (an
ancient ash) in which a single individual of the species was found in May 2001 in Hylands Park is
unusual. Atomaria turgida has only recently been recognised as British on the basis of specimens
collected in Monmouthshire in 1996 (Levey & Pavett, 1999b); it may be a recent immigrant to the
British Isles; I have also seen a recently collected specimen from the Banchory district, Scotland.
A single individual of this species was taken from flood debris beside the River Wid at the northern
end of Hylands Park by Peter Hammond in February 2003.
Several of the 'saproxylic' species (see below) were previously known in Essex only from the
general area of Epping Forest (including Hainault Forest) and/or Hatfield Forest. These include
Nemadus colonoides, Xantholinus angularis, Euplectus infirmus, Prionocyphon serricornis and
Ptinus sexpunctatus. The last-mentioned, like a number of other 'spider beetles', may be found in
and around buildings, but the species is also typically found in the dry parts of ancient, especially
hollow, deciduous trees. At Hylands Park a number of P. sexpunctatus were found in the hay loft of
the stable block
Saproxylic species
A principal interest of Hylands Park from the perspective of its resident Coleoptera is the range of
mature and over-mature native trees, especially the English Oak (Quercus robur). These are scattered
through the park, with the greatest concentration of large oaks to be found in the open areas west of
the house. Some 79 of the beetle species so far recorded from Hylands Park may be regarded as
"saproxyiics', i.e. species associated in one way or another with dead or dying wood (see Hammond
Essex Parks: Section 2 - Hylands Park
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