Snake-flies, alderflies, lacewings and scorpion flies in Essex
England and Wales north to Yorkshire, though it
is apparently absent from western Wales and the
West Country, suggesting that it may dislike the
wet, western oak woodlands. Overall, it is clearly
not a common species in Essex, but is likely to
be rather more widespread than S. confinis or X.
xanthostigma.
Habitat and ecology
Apparently confined to deciduous oaks
{Quercus), but no investigation seems to have
been carried out into whether it prefers Q. robur
or Q. petraea. It would help enormously if the
species of oak tree was reported with the record
of the insect. Although most British records are
from woodlands, isolated oaks in old hedges also reveal the insect occasionally. The larvae are
alleged predators of beetle larvae.
Threats
The loss of mature oak trees from the landscape is a potential threat. In the longer term, the lack of
replacement trees may prove to have an effect.
Etymology
From the Latin verb Nolo, notare = to mark or distinguish.
Xanthostigma xanthostigma (Schummel, 1832)
National status: Common (Local) Predicted county status: Local/—
Distribution
Records are concentrated in the area of Epping
and Hainault Forests in the south-west of the
county, in which area it will doubtless be recorded
from further tetrads, with outliers at Nunty Wood/
Grange Wood, north-west of Coggeshall and at
Bulmer; the latter record is nowhere near
woodland.
Habitat and ecology
Fraser (1959) suggested that this snake-fly was
confined to willows, but recent evidence
elsewhere in Britain suggests that this is not the
ease. Many records are from oak, but most were
submitted without any particular association
being noted. I have certainly beaten adult females from oak in Epping Forest, but perhaps it is able
to survive on a wider range of tree species?
Threats
The loss of mature trees from the landscape poses a potential threat. More work is required in order
to elucidate its macro and micro-habitat requirements before a proper assessment can be made.
Etymology
From the Greek xanthos = yellow and the Latin stigma = a mark, referring to the yellowish pterostigmata
of the forewings.
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Essex Naturalist (New Series) 17 (2000)