Hylands - Notable Species
Mark Hanson
Callicera spinolae Rondani Diptera : Syrphidae
This species - the Golden Hoverfly, accorded Red Data Book 1 status - is the most significant
invetebrate so far recorded at Hylands. I recorded a female at Ivy blossom in the formal gardens on
the 21st of September 2001 and a male on the same patch of Ivy on the 24th September. Known as a
British species only since 1928 when it was found at Southwold in Suffolk, it is entirely confined to
East Anglia. Hylands is one of about four current sites knownfor this species (it may have disappeared
from some former sites). It has recently been recorded from a site in Hertfordshire and another
parkland site in Cambridgeshire - the National Trust's Wimpole Hall - where, like Hylands, it
occurs with Callicera aurata, its close relative and oilier rare saproxylic hoverflies. From Wimpole
Hall, Callicera spinolae was reared from a rot-hole in a Horse Chestnut tree, the tree species I
suspect would be used at Hylands. The larva has, however, (in its European range) been recorded
from rot-holes in various tree species, including Poplar, Ash, Field Maple and Beech. In Europe it
is found in the Mediterranean area, France, Germany. Italy and Spain and is said to be a rare
species throughout, indicating ancient forests of international importance.
Psilota anthracina Meigen Diptera : Syrphidae
Another rare (RDB 2) saproxylic hoverfly. Unrecorded in Essex before the 1980s. it is an extremely
elusive species. It often seems to be associated with old parks, but has also been found in Windsor
and the New Forest. In Essex, true to form, it has turned-up only in Dagnam, Thorndon, Weald and
Hylands Parks. The adults often visit Hawthorn flowers. I noted at least three, and probably a total
of four, specimens on a flowering Cockspur Thorn (Crataegus crus-galli) in the formal gardens. At
Hylands this particular thorn flowers slightly later than the Common Hawthorn. Little seems to be
known of its life history, other titan its larva has been recorded from accumulations of decaying
wood and sap in rot-holes in trees.
Lestes dryas (Kirby) Odonata : Lestidae
The once rare Scarce Emerald damselfly characteristic of coastal Essex had declined to such an
extent by the 1970s that there were fears for its continued existence, not only in Essex, but also as
a British breeding species. For several years, the species was barely recorded. However, by the
mid-1980s some sort of recovery had been achieved and it was again recorded at a number of
coastal sites in Essex. Typically it inhabits ditches and pools on the flood plains of rivers not far
from the coast. I was quite surprised to capture and photograph a male of this species, as well as
observing what was almost certainly a mating pair on the 14th July 2002 around the Ephemeral
Pond in the southern part of Hylands. This pond also provided records of Pyrrhosoma nymphula,
Aeshna cyanea, Sympetrum sanguineum, Lestes sponsa and Ischnura elegans. The pond dries out
in the summer (not always fully), but still hosts an interesting flora, including Fine-leaved Water
Dropwort (Oenanthe aquatica), Spike-rush (Eleocharis palustris) and Curled Pondweed
(Potamogeton crispus). In Britain Lestes dryas is accorded RDB 2 status.
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Essex Patks: Section 2 - Hylands Park