Posts
Invertebrates of chalk-grassland
Posted by Graeme Lyons , Thursday 9 August 2018 11:20
We arrived at Levin to find it shrouded in low cloud. This did not bode well. However, we started the morning simply by active searching, waiting for the dew to burn off. Sweeping, beating and suction sampling did not begin until after lunch.
It ended up being a pretty awesome day. We recorded 120 species in the field. Turns out 23 (19.1%) of these were new to the site! Nine had conservation status (7.5%). I personally didn't get any ticks but the highlights for me were these two. At the top of this post is the suction-sampler special. The tiny little Southern Crablet Ozyptila nigrita. I have 11 records for this species and eight of them have been made using a suction sampler.
But the star of the show was seeing three of these, two males and a female. Xysticus bifasciatus. A rather smart spider. You can do this male by its genitalia on this photo, they are so large and distinctive (fnar fnar!) Not a chalk-grassland invertebrate at all though.
And the beetle Tritoma bipustulata. This is the only place I have ever seen this, it seems to be fairly easy on this site on rather dull bracket fungi on relatively small trees, scrub and stumps that have been cleared. Again, not a chalk-grassland invertebrate.
Here is the list with a few notes on its key resources and associations, the year of the last record and whether it has a conservation status or not (noted after the species name). Now, these are quick notes, I expect people will disagree on some of them, please don't comment on the detail as I won't have the time or energy to get drawn into another debate. As you can see, looking down the list, chalk-grassland specialists are actually few and far between and probably don't make up anymore than 10% of what we saw. Sorry this doesn't quite fit the page but it's a compromise of getting as much detail into a small a space as possible and the year of the last record is quite a useful thing to have here.
And the beetle Tritoma bipustulata. This is the only place I have ever seen this, it seems to be fairly easy on this site on rather dull bracket fungi on relatively small trees, scrub and stumps that have been cleared. Again, not a chalk-grassland invertebrate.
Here is the list with a few notes on its key resources and associations, the year of the last record and whether it has a conservation status or not (noted after the species name). Now, these are quick notes, I expect people will disagree on some of them, please don't comment on the detail as I won't have the time or energy to get drawn into another debate. As you can see, looking down the list, chalk-grassland specialists are actually few and far between and probably don't make up anymore than 10% of what we saw. Sorry this doesn't quite fit the page but it's a compromise of getting as much detail into a small a space as possible and the year of the last record is quite a useful thing to have here.
| Order | Species | Last | Resource/associations |
| Mite | Ixodes ricinus | 2016 | Mammal parasite |
| Woodlouse | Philoscia muscorum | 2016 | Detritivore |
| Woodlouse | Oniscus asellus | 2016 | Detritivore |
| Woodlouse | Trichoniscus pusillus agg. | 2016 | Detritivore |
| Woodlouse | Porcellio scaber | 2016 | Detritivore |
| Woodlouse | Armadillidium vulgare | New | Detritovore |
| Beetle | Agriotes sputator | 2016 | Grassland, roots |
| Beetle | Agrypnus murinus | 2017 | Roots, light soils, often chalk |
| Beetle | Athous haemorrhoidalis | 2016 | Generalist, roots |
| Beetle | Ampedus elongantulus (Na) | New | Deadwood |
| Beetle | Cantharis rustica | 2016 | Grassland predator |
| Beetle | Carabus problematicus | 2017 | Generalist predator |
| Beetle | Chrysolina polita | 2017 | Generalist herbivore |
| Beetle | Cordylepherus viridis | 2017 | Grassland |
| Beetle | Cryptocephalus aureolus | 2017 | Chalk-grassland, yellow composites |
| Beetle | Orchid Beetle | 2017 | Chalk-grassland |
| Beetle | Lesser Stag Beetle | 2016 | Deadwood |
| Beetle | Epitrix atropae (NS) | 2016 | Deadly Nightshade |
| Beetle | Harlequin Ladybird | 2016 | Generalist predator |
| Beetle | Dasytes aeratus | New | Deadwood |
| Beetle | Denticollis linearis | New | Deadwood |
| Beetle | Isomira murina | 2016 | Woodland edge |
| Beetle | Oedemera lurida | 2016 | Flowers |
| Beetle | Oedemera nobilis | 2016 | Flowers |
| Beetle | Onthophagus joannae | 2016 | Dung |
| Beetle | Phyllobius roboretanus | 2016 | Grassland herbivore |
| Beetle | Phyllopertha horticola | New | Grassland, roots |
| Beetle | Pterostichus madidus | 2017 | Generalist predator |
| Beetle | Pyrochroa serraticornis | 2017 | Deadwood |
| Beetle | Sinodendron cylindricum | 2017 | Deadwood |
| Beetle | Stenocorus meridianus | 2017 | Deadwood |
| Beetle | Stenurella melanura | 2017 | Deadwood |
| Beetle | Tritoma bipustulata (Na) | 2016 | Deadwood |
| Butterfly | Orange Tip | 2018 | Woodland edge |
| Butterfly | Brown Argus | 2016 | Grassland |
| Butterfly | Small Heath (NT, BAP) | 2017 | Grassland |
| Butterfly | Small Blue (NT, BAP) | 2017 | Chalk-grassland, Kidney Vetch |
| Butterfly | Dingy Skipper (VU, BAP) | 2017 | Grassland, legumes |
| Butterfly | Common Blue | 2017 | Grassland, Bird's-foot Trefoil |
| Butterfly | Grizzled Skipper | 2017 | Chalk-grassland, Rosaceae |
| Cockroach | Ectobius lapponicus (NS) | 1988 | Detritovore |
| Dragonfly | Broad-Bodied Chaser | New | Aquatic larva |
| Hymenopteran | Andrena cineraria | 2014 | Flowers |
| Hymenopteran | Andrena haemorrhoa | New | Flowers |
| Hymenopteran | Bombus terrestris | New | Flowers |
| Hymenopteran | Bombus pascuorum | 2016 | Flowers |
| Hymenopteran | Formica fusca | 2016 | Generalist omnivore |
| Hymenopteran | Robin's Pin-Cushion Gall | 2017 | Rose |
| Hymenopteran | Yellow Meadow Ant | 2016 | Grassland omnivore |
| Hymenopteran | Bombus hypnorum | New | Flowers |
| Hymenopteran | Vespa crabro | New | Generalist predator |
| Moth | Silver Y | 2016 | Migrant |
| Moth | Yellow Shell | 2016 | Generalist herbivore |
| Moth | Celypha lacunana | 2004 | Generalist herbivore |
| Moth | Green Carpet | 2010 | Bedstraws |
| Moth | Crambus lathoniellus | 2016 | Grassland herbivore |
| Moth | Delplanqueia dilutella | 2017 | Chalk-grassland, Wild Thyme |
| Moth | Helcystogramma rufescens | 2017 | Grassland herbivore |
| Moth | Vine's Rustic | New | Generalist herbivore |
| Moth | Treble Brown Spot | New | Genralist herbivore |
| Moth | Nemophora degeerella | New | Wood-anemone |
| Moth | Common Swift | New | Generalist herbivore |
| Moth | Micropterix calthella | New | Flowers |
| Moth | Dusky Sallow | New | Dry grassland, herbivore |
| Moth | Pyrausta aurata | 2016 | Labiates |
| Moth | Straw Dot | 2006 | Grassland herbivore |
| Moth | White Ermine | New | Generalist hebrivore |
| Moth | Speckled Yellow | New | Wood Sage |
| Orthopteran | Field Grasshopper | 2017 | Dry grassland omnivore |
| Orthopteran | Speckled Bush-cricket | 2016 | Woodland edge omnivore |
| Orthopteran | Roesel's Bush-cricket | 2016 | Rank grassland omnivore |
| Orthopteran | Common Green Grasshopper | 2017 | Grassland |
| Orthopteran | Dark Bush-cricket | 2016 | Woodland edge |
| Scorpionfly | Panorpa germanica | 2016 | Woodland & scrub predator |
| Bug | Juniper Aphid | 2016 | Juniper |
| Bug | Agramma laetum | 2016 | Dry grassland |
| Bug | Calocoris roseomaculatus | 2017 | Chalk-grassland |
| Bug | Capsus ater | 2016 | Grassland |
| Bug | Juniper Shieldbug | 2017 | Juniper |
| Bug | Sloe Shieldbug | 2016 | Generalist |
| Bug | Leptopterna dolabrata | 2017 | Grassland |
| Bug | Leptopterna ferrugata | 2016 | Dry grassland |
| Bug | Stenodema laevigata | 2017 | Grassland |
| Bug | Nabis rugosus | New | Predator |
| Bug | Aphrophora alni | 2016 | Trees & scrub |
| Bug | Cercopis vulnerata | 2016 | Tall herb |
| Bug | Eupteryx notata | 2016 | Chalk-grassland |
| Fly | Chloromyia formosa | 2016 | Generalist |
| Fly | Leptarthrus brevirostris | 2017 | Chalk-grassland |
| Fly | Myathropa florea | 2016 | Deadwood |
| Fly | Eristalis pertinax | New | Generalist |
| Fly | Rhagio tringarius | 2017 | Humid |
| Fly | Rhingia campestris | 2016 | Dung/Wood-edge |
| Fly | Tipula vernalis | 2016 | Generalist |
| Fly | Volucella bombylans | 2016 | Aculeate hosts/Flowers |
| Millipede | Cylindroiulus punctatus | 2016 | Deadwood |
| Mollusc | Balea sarsii | 2017 | Trees & scrub |
| Mollusc | Candidula intersecta | 2016 | Chalk-grassland |
| Mollusc | Cochlodina laminata | 2016 | Woodland, chalky |
| Mollusc | Cornu aspersum | 2017 | Generalist |
| Mollusc | Deroceras reticulatum | 1983 | Generalist |
| Mollusc | Pomatias elegans | 2017 | Woodland-edge on chalk |
| Mollusc | Vallonia costata | 2016 | Dry short turf, often chalk |
| Mollusc | Vertigo pygmaea | 1993 | Dry chalky soils also marshes |
| Mollusc | Monacha cantiana | 2016 | Generalist |
| Spider | Labyrinth Spider | 2016 | Generalist predator |
| Spider | Harpactea hombergi | 2016 | Trees, litter, house etc predator |
| Spider | Larinioides cornutus | 2016 | Grassland predator |
| Spider | Mangora acalypha | 2016 | Grassland predator |
| Spider | Metellina mengei | 2016 | Generlaist predator |
| Spider | Ozyptila claveata (NS, BAP) | 2016 | Chalk-grassland |
| Spider | Nursery-Web Spider | 2016 | Grassland predator |
| Spider | Selimus vittatus | 2016 | Woodland edge predator |
| Spider | Simitidion simile | New | Generalist predator |
| Spider | Neottiura bimaculata | 2017 | Woodland & scrub predator |
| Spider | Xysticus bifasciatus (NS) | 2017 | Scarce generalist predator |
| Spider | Zora spinimana | 2016 | Grassland predator |
| Spider | Pachygnatha degeeri | 2016 | Generalist predator |
| Springtail | Pogonognathellus longicornis | New | Fungivore/detritovore |
| Springtail | Orchesella cincta | New | Fungivore/detritovore |
Posted in
Post a Comment