Essex Field Club Exhibition
Peter Harvey also exhibited colour photographs of the Nationally Endangered wasp, Odynerus
simillimus, discovered last year by David Scott at Alresford near Colchester, showing David examining
the nesting habitat, the wasp building its nest chimney and an area of ground with a number of
completed chimneys. Colour photographs and notes were displayed for two national Biodiversity
Action Plan wasp species that arc part of English Nature's Species Recovery Program, Cerceris
quadricincta and C. quinquefasciata. There were photographs of C. quadricincta with prey, the
wasp at its nest hole, and adjacent waste ground used for foraging, at a site in north Colchester
discovered by Jerry Bowdrey earlier in the year. C. quinquefasciata was shown foraging at Middlewick
Ranges, Colchester. There was a photograph of the 'wasp spider' Argiope bruennichi, with updated
maps showing its national, Essex and East Thames Corridor distribution, together with text on its
status, distribution and ecology in Britain. Notes were displayed on the forthcoming Provisional
Atlas of British Spiders to be published in February 2002, with examples of phenology charts and
notes on 'Where the Spider Recording Scheme goes from here'.
David Scort provided an exhibit on the action plan for conservation of the great crested newt Triturus
cristatus in Essex, organised by Froglife and the Environment Agency, as part of the national
Biodiversity Action Plan for this species, and for which the EFC has contributed records. Photographs
on display showed the courtship of the newt, together with eggs laid on waterweed, and a newt larva.
David also displayed a photograph of two Pool Frogs, Rana lessonae, recently introduced and now
making inroads into south Essex. Their origin is probably from illegal garden releases. Club members
were asked to look out for, and report sightings of this species, which differs from the Edible Frog
Rana esculenta in having a loud call, green coloration and a yellow dorsal line.
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 19 (2002)
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