Diptera
1998 was the first year of the Epping Forest
Insect Survey, a long-term project financed by
the Corporation of London to compile an
inventory of insects and other invertebrates,
with particular attention being focussed upon
the under-recorded Diptera. John Ismay and
David Henshaw are coordinating the work of
the numerous entomologists involved. In spite
of August being a poor month for many
insects 362 species of Diptera, of which more
than half (193) were new to the Forest, were
collected over the 3-day visit.
Species new to science
Outstanding finds included a species of
fungus-gnat new to science. The species, from
the genus Mycetophila, was found in three
areas of the Forest. Like related species, it is a
shining dark brown with yellow markings on
the body, and also with two brown markings
on the wing. Its biology is unknown, of
course, but it is likely to be associated with
fungi growing on dead wood. A full account
has been submitted for publication by its
discoverer Peter Chandler (Chandler in press).
Additionally. Peter recorded adulls of the
large and striking pattern-winged crane-fly
species, Metalimnobia quadrimaculata,
known in Britain only from Epping,
Windsor and the New Forests. He also
successfully reared its larvae from the
fungus Inonotus nodulosus, found on a
beech log close to one of the Forest bogs.
Another important tipulid record was for the
nationally notable Ctenophora pectinicornis.
a shiny black species breeding in the dead
wood of hornbeam and beech. This species
was found to be very numerous during late
May/June in the Forest.
The list was full of other species associated
with dead wood. These included the hybotid
Euthyneura albipennis, an RDB1 species
previously recorded only from Windsor
Forest, which was found amongst the ancient
oaks of Barn Hoppitt, Chingford. Its larva is
predatory whilst the adult uses hawthorn as an
important nectar source, requiring open wood
pasture-like conditions. Brachyopa bicolor, an
27
RDB3 hoverfly by contrast was found in the
beech woodlands where its larvae develop
under the bark of decaying tree limbs. Other
species developing under the bark of old trees
were the notable Megamerina dolium and the
notable xylomyiid Solva marginata.
Coleoptera
It was an eventful year for beetle recording in
Epping Forest. It started with a new species
for the Forest, the orange ladybird (Halyzia
16-guttata), which was found in large
numbers on the bark of beech pollards at High
Beach. This is one of the phytophagous
species eating only algae from the bark
surface. It is apparently now considered quite
common and widespread nationally haying
previously been much scarcer
In the early summer amongst the ancient oaks
of Barn Hoppitt, one of the area's specialities
was caught, Ampedus cardinalis the RDB2
red and black click beetle (see Plate 17). This
was swept outside a rot-hole in the bolling of
an old pollard, the first confirmed record for
more than 20 years.
In me autumn Peter Hammond began a pond
beetle survey, examining 8 significant Forest
ponds. The collections were done by hand-
netting, litter sampling and some pit-fall
trapping, although most of these traps were
flooded out by torrential rain in the first week!
176 species were caught of which 74 were
aquatic or specialist welland species. 25 were
new records for the Forest and a further 86
had not been recorded post-1950. Nine species
were nationally notable with an additional one
in the RDBK category. Amongst these
nationally notable species not previously
recorded from the Forest were the aquatic
Dryops similaris and the reed-grass dwelling
weevil Thryogenes scirrhosus.
The year ended well with the discovery, in a
timber (turkey oak) gatepost, of a larval
Prionus coriarius (see Plate 2). This is the
first proof of breeding for this large rare
longhorn in the Forest in recent years.
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 16 (1999)