March 2001 ISSN 0952-7583 Vol. 14, Part 1

BRITISH JOURNAL OF

ENTOMOLOGY

AND NATURAL HISTORY

RS
SII

BRITISH JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY
Published by the British Entomological and Natural History Society
and incorporating its Proceedings and Transactions

Editor: M. Wilson, Ph.D., F.R.E.S., F.L.S. Department of Biodiversity & Systematic Biology,
National Museums & Galleries of Wales, Cardiff CF10 3NP. (Tel: 02920 573263, Fax: 02920
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Associate Editor: Richard A. Jones, B.Sc., F.R.E.S., F.L.S. 135 Friern Road, East Dulwich,
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Editorial Committee:

D. J. L. Agassiz, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.E.S. T. G. Howarth, B.E.M., F.R.E.S.

R. D. G. Barrington, B.Sc. I. F. G. McLean, Ph.D., F.R.E.S

P. J. Chandler, B.Sc., F.R.E.S. M. J. Simmons, M.Sc.

B. Goater, B.Sc., M.I.Biol. P. A. Sokoloff, M.Sc., C.Biol., M.I.Biol., F.R.E.S.
A. J. Halstead, M.Sc., F.R.E.S. T. R. E. Southwood, K.B., D.Sc., F.R.E.S.

R. D. Hawkins, M.A. R. W. J. Uffen, M.Sc., F.R.E.S.

P. J. Hodge B. K. West, B.Ed.

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BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 l

TWENTY NEW BUTTERFLIES FROM THE
SOLOMON ISLANDS (LEPIDOPTERA: HESPERIIDAE;
LYCAENIDAE; NYMPHALINAE;
SATYRINAE; DANAINAE)

W. JOHN TENNENT

Biogeography and Conservation Laboratory, Department of Entomology,
The Natural History Museum,
London, SW7 SBD, UK.

Abstract. Following field work in 1996 and 1997, one new butterfly species,
eighteen subspecies and one form are described from the Solomon. islands:
Argyronympha danker sp. n. (Malaita); Allora doleschallii cristobalensis ssp. n. (San
Cristobal); Tagiades japetus suumoli ssp. n. (Ulawa); Epimastidia arienis taisia ssp. n.
(San Cristobal); E. a. outgrabe ssp. n. (Malaita); Anthene paraffinis cristobalus ssp. n.
(San Cristobal); Anthene lycaenoides orientalis ssp. n. (Choiseul); A/giachroa
woodfordi malaitae ssp. n. (Malaita); Vindula arsinoe intermedia ssp. n. (Russell
Group); Mynes woodfordi shannoni ssp. n. (Malaita); Hypolimnas pithoeka leveri ssp.
n. (Santa Cruz Group); Cyrestis acilia russellensis ssp. n. (Russell Group); Phaedyma
fissizonata olega ssp. n. (Treasury); Ph. f. philipi ssp. n. (Ulawa); Tirumala hamata
richardi ssp. n. (Ulawa); Danaus affinis monoensis ssp. n. (Treasury); D. a. ulawaensis
ssp. n. (Ulawa); D. a mendana ssp. n. (Santa Cruz Group); Euploea batesii ackeryi
ssp. n. (Ulawa); Euploea leucostictos form roseus f. n. (Ulawa). Brief notes relating to
the status of some other Solomons butterfly taxa are presented and as a result, the
name sapor Godman & Salvin 1888, is placed in the combination Vindula arsinoe
sapor Stat. n.; obscura Ribbe, 1898 syn. n. is synonymised with sapor; Hypolimnas
pithoeka salomonis D’Abrera, 1978 syn. n. is synonymised with nominotypical
pithoeka Kirsch, 1877, and Phaedyma viridens Eliot, 1969 stat. n. is raised to species
Status.

INTRODUCTION

Despite a colonial history, the numerous islands of the Solomons Archipelago
(Map 1) are not well known faunistically. This 1s particularly so in the case of the
butterflies and little systematic collecting has been carried out since the time of Meek
and Woodford in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The author spent eight
months in the field in 1996 and 1997, on three separate visits, when many new taxa
were discovered (Tennent, 1998; 1999 a—c; 2000 a-—c; in press a, b) and numerous data
relating to the distribution of butterfly taxa in the Solomons obtained. The aim of the
present paper is to make names available for a forthcoming book on the butterflies of
the Solomon Islands (Tennent, in prep.).

The following abbreviations are used: The Natural History Museum, London
(BMNH); Oxford University Museum, Oxford (OUM); Australian National
Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra (ANIC); Bernice P. Bishop Museum,
Honolulu (BPBM); Dodo Creek Research Station, Honiara (DCRS); forewing
length (fwl); upperside (ups); underside (uns); upperside forewing (upf); upperside
hindwing (uph); underside forewing (unf); underside hindwing (unh); sea level (sl);
type locality (TL).

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BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 B

NEW TAXA
Hesperiidae
Tagiades japetus suumoli ssp. n. (Figs 1, 2, 11, 12)

Description. A large and distinctive race, closer in appearance to T. 7. kazana
Evans, 1934, from Treasury island than to 7. 7. hovia Swinhoe, 1904, which flies in
the remainder of the Solomons Archipelago. Male fwl 23mm; resembles other
Solomons races of 7. japetus Stoll, 1781; larger, fw longer; ups plain brown; upf
postdiscal and subapical spots small; uph tornal area with indistinct grey
submarginal markings (tornus clear white, variable in extent, in 7. j. hovia); fringes
brown (white in 7. 7. hovia); uns plain brown (darker brown in T. j. hovia and T. /.
kazana); unf postdiscal spots well developed; unh with indistinct grey suffusion
extending from inner margin to vein 4 and cell, with distinctive elongated markings
in spaces 2 and 3 (less extensive, less elongated in T. 7. Aazana; unh largely white in T.
j. hovia); genitalia not examined. Female similar.

Distribution. Ulawa.

Type material. HOLOTYPE <¢, Solomon Islands, Ulawa, north coast, Swumoli
village area, SL, 23.11.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPES: | 3, 1 9, same
data as holotype; 1 9, ditto, 22.11.1997; 4 $4, Ulawa, Harrina village area, 40m,
25.11.1997, W. J. Tennent (all BMNH).

Comment. Whilst geographically not particularly remote, Ulawa is one of the least
visited of the Solomon Islands, probably because there is no airstrip, no regular ferry
service, and the ocean currents which run between it, Malaita and San Cristobal are
strong and dangerous. Considering its small size, it has a high proportion of endemic
butterfly taxa at subspecies level, which apparently have closer affinity with fauna of
the western islands than with the adjacent islands of Malaita and San Cristobal
(Tennent, 1998).

Allora doleschalhi cristobalensis ssp. n. (Figs 3, 13)

Description. Similar to other races of A. doleschallii C. Felder, 1860. Thorax and
ups wing areas blue basally (green or blue-green in A. d. /una Evans, 1934 and A. d.
solon Evans, 1949); uns dark grey-brown (dark brown in A. d. luna and A. d. solon);
unf subapical markings absent on holotype; postmedian and discal markings
prominent (slightly less prominent in 4. d. /una; small or vestigial in A. d. solon); unh
postbasal spot small, subtornal spot vestigial (well developed in A. d. /una and A. d.
solon); genitalia not examined. Female unknown.

Distribution. San Cristobal.

Type material. HOLOTYPE <3: Solomon Islands, San Cristobal, above Hauta,
500-700 m, 3.1v.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH).

Comment. This is a wary and fast flying species, which is difficult to catch.
Although only the holotype was secured, other specimens seen on several visits to
San Cristobal were clearly different to A. doleschallii races on other Solomon islands.
Other than the isolated southern islands of Rennell and Bellona, the large, forested
and little-known island of San Cristobal has, together with its satellites, a higher
proportion of endemic taxa at both species and subspecies level, than any other
island in the Solomons chain (Tennent, 1998). Parsons (1998) spelled the name of this
taxon as ‘doleschali’’, claiming that Evans’ (1949) spelling of ‘doleschalli’ was
incorrect. In fact, Evans was correct (cf. Felder, 1860: 460).

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Figs 1-10, upperside, 11—20, underside. Tagiades japetus suumoli. ssp. n. (Ulawa), 1, 11 3
holotype; 2, 12 & paratype; Al/lora doleschallii cristobalensis ssp. n. (San Cristobal), 3, 13 3
holotype; Epimastidia arienis outgrabe ssp. n. (Malaita), 4, 14 2 holotype; Epimastidia arienis
taisia ssp. n. (San Cristobal), 5, 15 4 paratype: 6, 16 2 holotype; Anthene paraffinis cristobalus
ssp. n. (San Cristobal), 7, 17 ¢ holotype; 8, 18 paratype; Anthene lycaenoides orientalis ssp. n.
(Choiseul), 9, 19 3 holotype; 10, 20 2 paratype.

wy

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

)

10n opposite

Figs 11—20. (capt

6 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Lycaenidae
Epimastidia arients taisia ssp. n. (Figs 5, 6, 15, 16)

Description. Male fwl 20mm; virtually indistinguishable from E. a. arienis Druce,
1891; uns blue spots in marginal border tend to be slightly darker blue; pale crescent-
shaped marks distad to blue spots generally ill-defined; genitalia not examined.
Female like E. a. arienis; ups marginal borders black (dark brown in E. a. arienis);
significantly narrower than in E. a. arienis, basal margin of border regular, well
defined (irregular, slightly diffuse in FE. a. arienis); basal areas with dark scales, tinged
blue, less extensive than E. a. arienis; uns borders wider, darker than E. a. arienis:
submarginal spots small, plain blue (larger, whitish-blue in E. a. arienis).

Distribution. San Cristobal

Type material. HOLOTYPE 92: Solomon Islands, San Cristobal, above Hauta, 5—
700m, 1.iv.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPES: 1 4, 1 2, same data as
holotype; 8 34, ditto, 3.1v.1997, W. J. Tennent; 2 ¢3, San Cristobal, Yanuta, 19—
29.1v.1908, Meek; 2 34, San Cristobal [south coast], Makira harbour, 1—9.v.1908,
Meek (all BMNH).

Etymology. Named for Ros and Willie Taisia, whose practical advice and
assistance was very helpful to the author during several field visits to the Solomons in
1996 and 1997.

Comment. Although E. arienis has been known from San Cristobal for many
years, only males were previously available. Material obtained in 1997 includes what
appear to be the first female specimens collected on that island and are distinctive.

Epimastidia arienis outgrabe ssp. n. (Figs 4, 14)

Description. Female fwl 18mm; resembles EF. a. arienis; ups borders broad, black
(dark brown in E. a. arienis); upf basal area extensively clear pale blue (less extensive,
dark brown, obscurely tinged blue in E. a. arienis); uph basally blue, extending along
inner margin to submarginal border in spaces la—2; uns resembles E. a. taisia. Male
unknown.

Distribution. Malaita.

Type material. HOLOTYPE &: Solomon Islands, Malaita, north, above Maluwu,
SL-580 m, 24.x.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH).

Comment. E. arienis is found in a number of races in Australasia. With the
exception of the race described here from Malaita, in which the female is partly white
and partly blue, Solomons races of arienis have ‘white’ females, whilst elsewhere (e.g.
the Bismarck Archipelago) females are predominantly ‘blue’ on the ups.

Anthene paraffinis cristobalus ssp. n. (Figs 7, 8, 17, 18)

Description. Male fwl 14mm; virtually indistinguishable from A. p. nereia Tite,
1966; genitalia not examined; female resembles other Solomons races of A. paraffinis
Fruhstorfer, 1916; ups blue areas purple-blue, extensive (variable in extent in A. p.
paraffinis and A. p. nereia; subdued blue in A. p. nereia; silvery-blue in A. p.
paraffinis); uns colour grey-brown (brown in A. p. paraffinis and A. p. nereia);
arrangement of fine lines less prominent than in 4. p. paraffinis and A. p. nereia.

Distribution. San Cristobal and Ugi.

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3, Solomon Islands, Ugi, west coast, north of Pawa,
SL-60 m, 16.x.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPES: 1 9, same data as
holotype; 5 99, ditto, 27.11.1997; 1 9, San Cristobal, Kira-Kira, SL, 9.viu.1996, W. J.

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 i

Tennent; 1 9, ditto, 10.viti.1996; 1 2, ditto, 15.vii.1996; 1 9, ditto, 16.vi1.1996; 1 g, 1
®, Ugi, G. F. Mathew (paratypes of A. p. nereia) (all BMNH).

Comment. There has been confusion in the distribution of races of A. paraffinis in
New Guinea and the Solomons. Oriental Anthene were revised by Tite (1966), who
included the Bismarcks, Bougainville, Shortlands, Treasury, Choiseul and islands of
the New Georgia Group in the distribution of A. p. paraffinis (Tite, 1966: 264). He
went on to describe (Tite, 1966: 266) A. p. nereia from Guadalcanal, the Florida
Group, Malaita and Ugi. Localities for nereia included “Gela (= Guadalcanal),
Florida and Tulagi’’. In fact Gela, or Nggela, is an early name for what is now more
usually called Florida, and Tulagi, the pre-second world war Solomons capital, is a
small island off the southwest coast of the main island of Florida. Tite gave (1966:
266) ‘v.1891’ and ‘iv.1891° for date of capture of the nereia holotype and allotype
respectively; they were taken by Meek in 1901.

Parsons (1998: 415) reported both A. p. paraffinis and A. p. nereia from New
Guinea, and included the Bismarcks in the distribution of the former and
Bougainville in the distribution of the latter. D’Abrera (1990: 359), gave Gizo, a
small island of the New Georgia Group, as a locality for both A. p. paraffinis and
A. p. nereia. Tite acknowledged that nereia was very similar to nominotypical
paraffinis in both sexes, and provided a series of differences which were said to
separate the two, some of which appear to relate to individual variation in this
species. Examination of available material, including fresh material obtained during
field work in 1996 and 1997, suggests that Tite was correct in restricting nereia to
Guadalcanal, Florida and Malaita. Specimens from the Russell group, west of
Guadalcanal, also appear to be referable to this race. Material from other islands
north and west of Gaudalcanal, including Santa Isabel and Choiseul, is referable to
A. p. paraffinis and one might reasonably expect Bougainville populations also to be
nominotypical. The known distribution of A. paraffinis in the Solomons Archipelago
accords closely with what is known of the biogeography of the region (Tennent, 1998).

Anthene lycaenoides orientalis ssp. n. (Figs 9, 10, 19, 20)

Description. Male fwl 13mm; similar to A. /. sutrana Fruhstorfer, 1916 (New
Guinea); smaller, ups less purple; hw margin less scalloped at tornus; uns grey-brown
(brown in A. /. sutrana); fine lines prominent (more subdued in A. /. sutrana); unf
submarginal and postmedian lines close together (separated in A. /. sutrana); unh
postmedian markings large, ‘blotched’ towards costa; genitalia not examined.
Female ups like A. /. sutrana; upf white discal patch smaller, less clearly defined;
basal scales silver-blue (mauve-blue in A. /. sutrana); uph pale suffusion more
extensive; uns markings more conspicuous; unf usually with pale discal patch, often
obscure and occasionally absent (always well developed, may be enlarged to form
median band in A. /. sutrana).

Distribution. Choiseul. Possibly also Bougainville (see comment, below).

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3: Solomon Islands, Choiseul, 3-6 km north of Mole,
40-120 m, 16.1v.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPES: 234, 10 29, same
data as holotype; 2 99, ditto, 17.xi.1997; 3 99, ditto, 18.xi.1997; 2 99, ditto,
22.x1.1997 (all BMNH).

Comment. Parsons (1998: 414) reported a “distinctive unnamed race” of A.
lycaenoides C. Felder, 1860 in the ANIC taken by Brandt at Kieta on Bougainville.
These specimens have not been examined by the present author, but geographical
proximity of the localities, together with known biogeographical distribution of
butterfly taxa in the Solomons Archipelago, suggests that this material is probably

8 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

also referable to A. /. orientalis. Discovery of this butterfly on Choiseul extends the
known range of A. /ycaenoides eastwards.

Nymphalinae
Algiachroa woodfordi malaitae ssp. n. (Figs 21, 27)

Description. Male fwl 34mm; closely resembles A. w. woodfordi Godman & Salvin,
1888; upf white median band broad, markings in spaces 3—5 extended, making distal
edge convex (band narrow, straight in all A. w. woodfordi examined); black median
spot in space 1b large; holotype with second, smaller, spot in space 2 (not present in
paratype, or in any A. w. woodfordi seen); uph like A. w. woodfordi, unf median band
like ups; postmedian irregular dark-brown band narrow anteriorly (broader in A. w.
woodfordi); genitalia not examined. Female unknown.

Distribution. Malaita.

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3: Malaita, north, above Malwu, SL-580m,
24.x.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPE <¢: Malaita, Cape Astrolabe,
24.x1.1944, R. Shannon (BMNH).

Comment. The author is most grateful to Ray Shannon of Auckland, New
Zealand, for making the paratype specimen of this taxon available for study, and for
kindly agreeing to deposit it in the BMNH.

Vindula arsinoe intermedia ssp. n. (Figs 23, 24, 29, 30)

Description. Male fwl 46mm; resembles V. arsinoe sapor Godman & Salvin, 1888
(see comments, below); upf brown, black linear markings light, particularly
submarginal and subapical lines (heavier in V. a. sapor); uph white submarginal
markings in spaces 2, 3 and 4 clear white, reduced (more extensive, with that in space
4 often partly obscured by fuscous suffusion in V. a sapor); submarginal line broken
into series of markings, weakly chevron shaped (more angular in V. a. sapor); mark
in space 2 bar-like or weakly rounded basad (sharply angular in V. a. sapor); uns like
V. a. sapor; genitalia not examined. Female resembles V. a. clodia (Godman &
Salvin, 1888 from Ulawa island (the male of this race lacks ups white markings); hw
tail at vein 3 short (longer in V. a. clodia).

Distribution. The Russell Group. Reported from Mbanika (Yandina) and Pavuvu
islands; seen but not collected on Mane (Tennent, pers. obs.).

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3: Solomon Islands, Russell Group, Pavuvu Island,
SL-80 m, 27.x.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPES: | 3, Russell Group,
Mbanika Island, Yandina, SL, 29.x.1997, W. J. Tennent; 1 2, Russell Group, Pavuvu
Island (west), Losilen village to Pavuvu Hill, SL-200 m, 28.x.1997 (all BMNH); 1 &,
Russell Group, [Mbanika Island], Yandina, 18.1.1964; 1 9, ditto, 19.1.1964; 1 9,
Russell Group, Pavuvu Island, 18.vii.1964; 1 4, 1 9, ditto, 19.vi1.1964; 2 34, Russell
Group, Banika [Mbanika] Island, 23.vu.1964; 1 ¢, 2 99, ditto, 24.v11.1964; 1 3, 1 9,
ditto, 26.vii.1964; 3 3g, 4 29, ditto, 27.v.1964 (BPBM).

Comments. The status and distribution of Solomons races of V. arsinoe Cramer,
1777, a large nymphalid butterfly which occurs in a variety of well-defined races from
India through south-east Asia to the Moluccas, Australia, New Guinea, the
Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands, has been fundamentally confused
by D’Abrera (1971, 1978, 1990).

Godman & Salvin (1888: 95-96) described sapor (TL: Alu [Shortland Group)),
catenes (TL: Santa Ana [a satellite of San Cristobal]) and clodia (TL: Ulawa) as
distinct species, whilst acknowledging their close affinity. More recently (Fruhstorfer,

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 9

fin Seitz] 1912; Talbot, 1932; D’Abrera, 1990), catenes and clodia have been regarded
as subspecies of arsinoe, whilst sapor has been accorded species status, based on the
white markings of the male uph and on minor differences in the early stages. Talbot
(1932: 160) described sapor albosignata from Ranongga in the New Georgia Group.
D’Abrera (1990: 204), partly paraphrasing Fruhstorfer (in Seitz, 1912) but with some
confusing additional comments, recognised arsinoe catenes (Santa Ana), arsinoe
clodia (Ulana [sic]), sapor sapor (Guadalcanal, Arawa and Choiseul), sapor obscura
(Bougainville and Shortlands), and sapor a/bosignata (‘Ranonga’), as occurring in the
Solomon Islands. Parsons (1998: 624) also recognised sapor as a distinct species and
followed D’Abrera in reporting the distribution of sapor obscura as Bougainville
(politically part of Papua New Guinea, but geographically part of the Solomons
Archipelago) and the Shortlands.

Detailed correction of D’Abrera (1990: 204) regarding Solomons Vindula taxa is
beyond the scope of this paper. Suffice it to say here that the holotype of sapor is from
Alu and that the type locality of obscura Ribbe, 1898, is the Shortlands. Alu is the
largest of the Shortlands, often referred to locally simply as ‘Shortland’, and obscura
Ribbe syn. n. is synonymous with sapor Godman & Salvin. Arawa (a D’Abrera
locality for ‘sapor sapor’) is a settlement on Bougainville (a D’Abrera locality for sapor
obscura). The illustration said to be a female sapor obscura (D’ Abrera, 1990: [205]), 1s
a typical female of the highly distinctive race al/bosignata from New Georgia.

Whether or not sapor should properly be regarded as a species or as a race of V.
arsinoe 18 open to question. Geographically (see Map 2), a distribution of sapor races
(sapor, intermedia and albosignata) from Bougainville to Guadalcanal and Malaita,
with a disjunct distribution of arsinoe races to the west (New Guinea etc.) and to the
east (c/odia and catenes), seems unlikely. Perceived differences between arsinoe and
sapor appear sufficiently minor to place the latter as a subspecies of the former
(Vindula arsinoe sapor stat. n.).

The easternmost representative of V. arsinoe is V. a. catenes, which occurs on the
island of San Cristobal and its satellites although there is an unconfirmed report
from Vanuatu. Samson spent two months, from January to March 1983, studying
butterflies in Vanuatu, primarily on Efate and reported (Samson, 1983: 4) seeing
males of an [unidentified] Vindula species on that island in a garden between Vila and
Pango and saw one specimen sufficiently closely to observe that it lacked the white
patches typical of sapor (Samson, pers. comm.). Distribution of Solomons races of V.
arsinoe 1s Shown on Map 2.

Mynes woodfordi shannoni ssp. n. (Figs 22, 28)

Description. Male fwl 28mm; resembles other Solomons races of M. woodfordi
Godman & Salvin, 1888; upf basal half creamy-white, extending almost to costa,
uninterrupted basally or at inner margin (in other Solomons races, always with black
border at costa; interrupted basally (variable)); subapical and marginal white
markings inconspicuous; uph creamy white patch extensive; unf basal half white,
with small elongate black basal mark (reduced and usually broken, or with more
extensive basal black mark in other Solomons races); unh pale median patch large,
extending to inner margin (unbroken in two specimens seen, thinly broken along
submedian vein in a third) (distinctly broken into two separate marks by submedian
vein in other Solomons races); genitalia not examined. Female not known.

Distribution. Malaita.

Type material. HOLOTYPE <4: Solomon Islands, Malaita, north, Cape Astrolabe,
22.x.1944, R. Shannon (BMNH); PARATYPES: | 3, Malaita, Auki to Fiu river,

10 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

SL-200m, 25.x.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); 1 3, Malaita, Tangtalau-Kuala,
24.1x.1957 (BPBM).

Etymology. Named for Mr Ray Shannon, of Auckland, New Zealand, who
collected the holotype of this taxon whilst serving on Malaita during the Second
World War, and kindly donated it to the BMNH.

Aypolimnas pithoeka leveri ssp. n. (Figs 25, 26, 31, 32)

Description. Small, male fwl 34mm (36-50 mm in H. p. pithoeka Kirsch, 1877); upf
white postmedian spots absent (variable, but rarely completely absent in H. p.
pithoeka); uph with pale golden broad submarginal band containing series of
postmedian white-pupilled black spots (plain, but band paler and generally obscure
when present in H. p. pithoeka [but see comment, below]); unf postmedian white
spots complete; unh submarginal band like ups, paler; genitalia not examined.
Female small, fwl 38mm (41—52mm in H. p. pithoeka); ups postmedian spots well
developed; upf apex with patch of white scales in spaces 7 and 8 (plain, or with
discrete spots in H. p. pithoeka); uns similar.

Distribution. Santa Cruz Group. Reported from Ndeni and Vanikoro.

Type material, HOLOTYPE 3: Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Group, Ndeni
Island, 5-8km south of Lata, 160m, 13.x.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH);
PARATYPES: | 9, same data as holotype; | 2°, Santa Cruz Group, Ndeni Island,
0—-Skm south of Lata, 60-160 m, 10.x.1997, W. J. Tennent; 1 9, ditto, 11.x.1997 (all
BMNH); 1 ¢, Santa Cruz Group, Vanikoro Island, v.—v1.1933, R. A. Lever (OUM).

Etymology. This taxon is named in recognition of the late R. A. Lever, who
collected and studied Solomon Islands butterflies and whose material, in the BMNH
and OUM collections, has been of great assistance in current studies.

Comment. H. pithoeka closely resembles the resident ‘brown’ Euploea species and
D. affinis (both Danainae) on different Solomon Islands, including the remarkable
white-bordered mimetic assemblages of San Cristobal and Malaita. The Santa Cruz
Group 1s no exception and H. p. /everi is approximately two thirds of the size of
pithoeka elsewhere in the Solomons; both sexes are effective mimics of the Santa
Cruz Euploea species. Gross (1975: 418) reported pithoeka from Vanuatu. Samson
(1979: 11) mentioned nominotypical pithoeka from the Solomons (excluding Rennell
and Bellona), including the Santa Cruz Group and from Vanuatu. Later (Samson,
1983: 4) he recorded a pithoeka ‘subsp.’ from Vanuatu. No specimens from Vanuatu
have been available for examination and it is possible that Vanuatu populations are
referable to this taxon.

D’Abrera’s treatment (D’Abrera, 1978, 1990) of H. pithoeka in the New Guinea
region was muddled. In addition to overlooking a number of well-defined subspecies
(Parsons, 1998: 610), no account was taken of the long series of pithoeka from the
Solomon Islands in the BMNH when raising the name salomonis for pithoeka from
Guadalcanal (D’Abrera, 1978: 219). Brief diagnostic features, including perceived
differences in wing shape, given for separation of salomonis D’Abrera syn. n. fall
within the range of nominotypical H. pithoeka. The male holotype of ‘salomonis’
illustrated (D’Abrera, 1978; 1990: 219) is f. i/uminata Fruhstorfer, which may occur
in any Solomons population.

Cyrestis acilia russellensis ssp. n. (Figs 33, 34, 41, 42)

Description. Holotype male fwl 25mm (a second male is 31 mm); closely resembles
other Solomons races of C. acilia Godart, 1819; in general appearance intermediate

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 iat

between C. a. ulawana Martin, 1903 (Ulawa) and C. a. nitida Mathew, 1887 (the
remainder of the Solomons except San Cristobal); on both surfaces fw white median
band straight, of equal width from costa to inner margin (generally wider,
significantly wider at inner margin than at costa in C. a nitida; very narrow, often
obscured at costa in C. a. ulawana; very wide, ‘bent’ near costa in C. a. solomonis
Mathew, 1887); other markings variable, typical of C. acilia; genitalia not examined.
Female like male; basal edge of median white line ill-defined in two of three females
seen.

Distribution. The Russell Group.

Type material. HOLOTYPE <4: Solomon Islands, Russell Group, Mane Island,
SL-80m, 28.x.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPES: | 3, 1 9, Russell
Group, Pavuvu Island, SL-80m, 27.x.1997, W. J. Tennent; | 2, Russell Group,
Pavuvu Island (west), Losilen village to Pavuvu Hill, SL-200m, 28.x.1997, W. J.
Tennent; | 9°, Russell Group, Marulaon Island, SL-40m, 27.x.1997, W. J. Tennent
(all BMNH).

Comment. Situated 40 km west of Guadalcanal and 90 km east of the New Georgia
Group, the Russells are a compact group of small islands which have been little
studied, probably due to the fact that with the exception of much of central Pavuvu,
the islands have been largely given over to the commercial production of coconuts.
Russells populations of most butterfly species are identical to those on the large
island of Guadalcanal to the east, although recent studies have shown that
populations of some widespread species in addition to Cyrestis acilia (Vindula arsinoe
and Mycalesis splendens Mathew, 1887) have evolved distinct races on the Russells.

Phaedyma fissizonata olega ssp. n. (Figs 35, 36, 43, 44)

Description. Male fwl 32mm; resembles other Solomons races of Ph. fissizonata
Butler, 1882; closest to Ph. f. pisias Godman & Salvin, 1888; uph median markings
small, forming narrow band (markings consistently larger, forming wider band, in
Ph. f. pisias); uph submarginal pale markings obscure, suffused with dark scales
(obscure or with vestigial white spots in spaces 5 & 6 in Ph. f. pisias [variable]; usually
with complete series of obscure white spots in Ph. f. vella Eliot, 1969 [variable]; full
series of prominent white spots in Ph. f. fissizonata); genitalia typical of Ph.
fissizonata (see Ph. f. philipi, Fig. 73). Female similar.

Distribution. Treasury Island.

Type material. HOLOTYPE <4, Solomon Islands, Treasury Group, Mono Island,
SL-40 m, 1.x11.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH):; PARATYPES: 2 33, 2 29, same data
as holotype (inc. gen. prep. BMNH (V) 5153): 1 4, 2 99, Treasury Group, Stirling
Island, SL-40m, 30.xi.1997, W. J. Tennent; | 3, Treasury, G. F. Mathew; | 9,
Treasury, 5—10.vii.1901, Meek; 1 9, ditto, 9.vii.1901 (all BMNH).

Etymology. Named for Queensland Olega, who provided the author with
hospitality on Treasury Island, in recognition of his efforts for eco-tourism, despite
the difficulties of local transport and the relative remoteness of his home.

Comment. Based on limited material in the BMNH, Eliot (1969: 129) remarked on
some minor observed differences in submarginal markings between Ph. fissizonata
populations from Treasury Island and those from the range of Ph. f. pisias. Further
material has established that the latter are variable, but that constant differences
separate Treasury populations from the other Solomons races. See also comments
under Ph. f. philipi ssp. n. (below).

12 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

j
§

eee ee ee ee eee er ee ee ee ee er alate AU uA
: i i i j H H ; H ‘

imam;

i
‘

Figs 21-26, upperside, 27-32, underside. A/giachroa woodfordi malaitae ssp. n. (Malaita), 21, 27
5 holotype; Mynes woodfordi shannoni ssp. n. (Malaita), 22, 28 3 holotype; Vindula arsinoe
intermedia ssp. n. (Russell Group), 23, 29 ¢ holotype; 24, 30 2 paratype; Hypolimnas pithoeka
leveri ssp. n. (Santa Cruz Group), 25, 31 3 holotype; 26, 32 2 paratype;

Phaedyma fissizonata philipi ssp. n. (Figs 37, 38, 45, 46, 73)

Description. Male fwl 30mm; uph median markings of average width in
comparison to other Solomons races of Ph. fissizonata, but with those in spaces la
and Ib, adjacent to inner margin, severely constricted, sometimes vestigial (some
Treasury specimens are intermediate between this and other Solomons races; not
seen in any of several hundred individuals of other Solomons races examined); uph
submarginal pale markings obscure (in three 3 examined); genitalia (Fig. 73) like
typical fissizonata. Female similar; ups submarginal markings variable, but usually
present.

Distribution. Ulawa.

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 13

i ia Wea SU ae ak ee ie a cece lla ted es dee Ao ie
} i

ihn

Figs 27-32 (caption opposite).

Type material. HOLOTYPE <¢: Solomon Islands, Ulawa, north, Kellmei and
Harrina village areas, SL-40 m, 24.11.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPES:
1 3, 2 29, same data as holotype; 1 ¢, 2 99, Ulawa, north, Swumoli village area, SL,
23.11.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH (V) 5152); 2 99, ditto, 22.11.1997 (all BMNH).

Etymology. Named for Philip Paewane and his brother Alex Pwahe, without
whose hospitality, courtesy and practical assistance, the author would have
experienced difficulty in carrying out field work on Ulawa.

Comment. The Solomons fissizonata taxa were examined by Eliot (1969) who
raised two new names (vel/a and viridens) and several questions. Long series
collected on different islands in 1996 and 1997 confirm Eliot’s views in almost all
regards. It was thought that white and green forms might be seasonal, and there
may indeed be a seasonal element in some populations, for example on
Guadalcanal, where all individuals seen were white in July and August 1996 and

14 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

prvurreserepeccepeecepeesrgereeg ease sa GLO PPEPEEL EL EERE ECEEEERES CELE EEELELEL LEER EEE LEELUEE PECEPEOUGUUGDEP RUUD ERDEEEEUAP TORRES tE ay bet
i ; : : : 5 g : § : ‘ : } é i ‘ H $

i ‘ :

: immo, i i ‘ i : H

Figs 33-40, upperside, 41—48, underside. Cyrestis acilia russellensis ssp. n. (Russell Group). 33,
41 3 holotype; 34, 42 2 paratype; Phaedyma fissizonata olega ssp. n. (Treasury), 35, 43 3
holotype; 36, 44 2 paratype; Ph. f. philipi ssp. n. (Ulawa), 37, 45 3 holotype; 38, 46 2 paratype;
Argyronympha danker sp. n. (Malaita), 39, 47 3 holotype; 40, 48 2 paratype.

mostly pale green in October 1996 and April 1997. In general however, colour forms
are not seasonal in any clear cut sense and white and green forms may occur
together in all populations. Presence of a greenish tinge 1s not geographically or
seasonally consistent in other Phaedyma species, e.g. P. sheperdi Moore, 1858 (Dunn
& Dunn, 1991: 559).

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 15

UU ea os beste tas oe baal my
: ‘ i ; 5 Hi $ i i H 3} | |
‘ 3 4 5

a ad hikes ae ak a

i (mms : i i i i \

Figs 41-48 (caption opposite).

The name vella was raised by Eliot (1969: 129) to describe specimens from Vella
Lavella, Ranongga and Gizo. He went on to say that examples from New Georgia
and Rendova showed some affinity with pisias but that they were “nearer to ssp. vella
under which they are provisionally placed’’. Experience with other butterfly taxa
suggests it would be unusual for different races of the same widespread species to fly
on different islands of the New Georgia Group, and further material obtained

16 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

recently suggests that diagnostic features described by Eliot in raising the name ve//a
hold true for fissizonata on all islands of the New Georgia Group from which
material is available.

Prior to field work in 1996 and 1997, when a short series of both sexes were
collected, the San Cristobal taxon viridens was known only from two females. In
raising the name viridens as a ssp. of fissizonata, Eliot (1969: 130) suggested it may be
worthy of species rank. Significant differences in phenotype, adult behaviour
(Tennent, in prep.) and genitalia between viridens and fissizonata occurring in the
remainder of the Solomons support this view and, as a result, Ph. viridens stat. n. is
here raised to species status. No white form of Ph. viridens has been seen. Eliot (1969:
147) illustrated the valves of several Phaedyma species, not including Ph. fissizonata
and so far as is known, genitalia of Solomons Phaedyma have not been illustrated
elsewhere. The genitalia of Ph. fissizonata philipi (Fig. 73) are typical of the genus and
there is little or no variation between /fissizonata races. The genitalia of male viridens
(Fig. 74) differ from fissizonata in several significant respects, including the tegumen
(posterior of tegumen angular, squat in Ph. fissizonata; more rounded in Ph.
viridens), saccus (slim with sharp angle dorsally in Ph. fissizonata; more bulky, not
angled dorsally in Ph. viridens) and valve (longer in Ph. fissizonata than in Ph.
viridens).

Eliot also said (1969: 130) *“There are no examples in the BMNH from the large
and little-known island of Malaita; it is conceivable that a form linking viridens
with the other subspecies may be found there”. Malaitan Ph. fissizonata 1s
nominotypical.

Satyrinae
Argyronympha danker sp. n. (Figs 39, 40, 47, 48, 77)

Description. Male fwl 20mm; fw narrow; ups resembles A. gracilipes Jordan, 1924
(Guadalcanal and Florida); basal orange colour orange-yellow (dull orange in A.
gracilipes); uns resembles A. rubianensis Grose-Smith, 1889 (New Georgia Group) in
colour and pattern; the shape of the yellow unh postmedian bars contained within
large black areas in spaces 2—3 (posterior) and 5—6 (anterior), part of a complex
arrangement of orange, black and iridescent silver markings, is diagnostic in all
species of Argyronympha. In danker, the anterior bar is long, rounded basally,
prominently serrated distally (shorter, squat, occasionally weakly serrated distally in
A. rubianensis; with deep double chevron basally in A. gracilipes); posterior bar thin,
extending basad in space 3 (more prominent, thickened in space 3 in A. rubianensis);
genitalia (Fig. 77) typical of Argyronympha; valve and uncus long, slender,
pseuduncus strongly curved, with single, ‘hooked’ lobe posteriorly (not strongly
curved, with three irregular lobes in A. rubianensis (Fig. 75) and A. gracilipes (Fig.
76)); aedeagus long, deeply curved (shorter, curve shallow in A. rubianensis and A.
gracilipes). Female like male; basal orange more extensive (reduced in A. gracilipes);
uns like male.

Distribution. Malaita.

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3: Solomon Islands, Malaita, north, above Maluwu,
SL-580 m, 24.x.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPES: 3 33, 4 29, same data
as holotype; 5 33, 4 99, Malaita, Auki to Fiu river, SL-200m, 11.1v.1997, W. J.
Tennent; 4 $3, 1 9, ditto, 22.x.1997 (all BMNH); 2 334, 1 9, Malaita, Tangtalau to
Kwalo, 24.ix.1957; 1 9, Malaita, Tangtalau, 26.1x.1957; 1 3, 1 9, Malaita, Dala,
6.vi.1964; 1 4, ditto, 11.vi.1964; 2 3g, 1 9, ditto, 50m, 22.vi.1964, J. & M. Sedlacek;

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 17

3 3g, 6 99, ditto, 7-22.v1.1964; 2 99, Malaita, Andalima to Ngarafata, near Fiu
river, no date (all BPBM).

Comment. There is no published record of any Argyronympha species from
Malaita, aside from that of D’Abrera (1990: 268), who included *‘Malaita (?)” in the
distribution of A. wlava Grose-Smith, 1889, the Argyronympha species endemic to
Ulawa. No recent illustration of the large and distinctive A. u/ava is extant, and this
may explain why the few Malaitan Argyronympha in collections in Honiara (DCRS),
Canberra (ANIC) and Hawaii (BPBM), have tentatively been labelled as u/ava. A.
danker 1s common on Malaita.

Danainae
Tirumala hamata richardi ssp. n. (Figs 61, 62, 67, 68)

Description. Male fwl 42mm; like other races of 7. hamata Macleay, 1827, but
with markings significantly reduced; upf marginal and submarginal series of spots
reduced in size and number (variable: absent in holotype); uph marginal series absent
or vestigial (small, but usually present in 7. h. obscurata Butler, 1874; prominent in
T. h. insignis Talbot, 1943); submarginal series small, often incomplete (small,
complete in T. h. obscurata; extensive, lozenge-shaped in T. h. insignis); uns markings
like other hamata races; markings reduced in size and number; genitalia not
examined. Female similar.

Distribution. Ulawa.

Type material. HOLOTYPE <¢: Solomon Islands, Ulawa, north, Harrina village
area, 40m, 25.11.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH). Paratypes: 2 99, same data as
holotype; 2 ¢3, 2 22, Ulawa, north, Swumoli, SL, 22.11.1997; 1 g, 1 2, Ulawa, north,
Kellmei and Harrina village areas, SL-40 m, 24.11.1997; 1 3, 1 9, Ulawa, Woodford
(all BMNH).

Etymology. This distinctive taxon 1s named for Dick Vane-Wright, world authority
on danaine butterflies, whose practical support and encouragement for the author’s
Solomons butterfly research has been unwavering.

Comment. It is interesting that, in the Solomons, the race with the most developed
markings (T. h. insignis—Malaita) and that with the least developed markings (T. h.
richardi—Ulawa), fly on islands only 45 km apart.

Danaus affinis monoensis ssp. n. (Figs 49, 50, 55, 56)

Description. Male fwl 36mm; superficially similar to other Solomons races of D.
affinis Fabricius, 1775 (see below); dissimilar to the widespread D. a. decipiens Butler,
1882, which flies throughout the western Solomons; closest in appearance to
populations from Ulawa (see D. a. ulawaensis ssp. n., below); ups dull orange-brown,
with outer two-thirds of fw, all wing margins and veins suffused black; upf subapical
white markings well developed (vestigial in D. a. decipiens); upf marginal and
submarginal white spots small, series incomplete; uph marginal and submarginal
white spots prominent, series complete (small, series incomplete in D. a. decipiens);
median white markings large, well developed, extending to cell (small, not extending
to cell in D. a. decipiens); uns markings similar to ups; genitalia not examined.
Female similar.

Distribution. Treasury Island.

18 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

, Mr, i }

Figs 49-54, upperside, 55—60, underside. Danaus affinis monoensis ssp. n. (Treasury), 49, 55 3
holotype; 50, 56 2 paratype; D. a. ulawaensis ssp. n. (Ulawa), 51, 57 3 holotype; 52, 58 @
paratype; D. a. mendana ssp. n. (Santa Cruz Group), 53, 59 ¢ holotype; 54, 60 2 paratype.

Type material. HOLOTYPE 3; Solomon Islands, Treasury Group, Stirling Island,
SL-40 m, 2.xu1.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPES: | 3, 1 8, same data,
30.x1.1997 (both BMNH).

Comment. Despite its small size, remote Treasury is home to a number of
interesting butterfly taxa. At species level it is not known to have any endemic
butterflies (with the possible exception of a recently described Arhopala species
[Tennent, 1999a]), but the fauna includes several distinctive endemic subspecies
(Tennent, 1998). D. a. decipiens was reported from Treasury Island by Ackery &
Vane-Wright (1984: 150) but the specimen(s) on which this was based have not been
located. Two males and a female taken on Treasury in 1997 are quite different from

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 19

Figs. 55-60 (caption opposite).

decipiens, which flies to the north (Shortlands), north-east (Choiseul) and east (New
Georgia Group) of Treasury. See also notes under D. a. mendana ssp. n. (below).

Danaus affinis ulawaensis_ ssp. n. (Figs 51, 52, 57, 58)

Description. Male fwl 38 mm; resembles other Solomons affinis races, including D.
da. monoensis ssp. n. (Treasury, see above) and, particularly, D. a. albonotata
Howarth, 1962 (Rennell). Ups marginal and submarginal white spots large,
prominent; upf subapical white markings prominent, with tendency to streak; uph
median white markings absent in most individuals seen, vestigial in some (more
prominent in D. a. monoensis and D. a. albonotata); uns similar markings; genitalia

20 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

not examined. Female similar; one female paratype has upf white median markings
in spaces 1b and 2, and extensive hw median white markings.

Distribution. Ulawa.

Type material, HOLOTYPE 3: Solomon Islands, Ulawa, Swumoli, SL,
22.11.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPES: 5 33, 3 99, same data as
holotype; 2 3, Ulawa, Kellmei and Harrina village areas, SL-40 m, 24.i11.1997; 1 3,
2 29, Ulawa, Harrina village area, 40m, 25.11.1997, W. J. Tennent (all BMNH); 1 3,
Ulawa, v.1934, R. A. Lever (OUM); 1 3, ditto, 19.v.1934 (OUM).

Comment. This is one of several distinctive butterflies apparently confined to the
small island of Ulawa, despite the close proximity of that island to Malaita. Both the
Euploea and D. affinis phenotypes which fly there have more affinity with distant
dark-winged western races than with the white-winged forms of nearby Malaita and
San Cristobal, a circumstance which prompted Ackery & Vane-Wright (1984: 152) to
question the labelling accuracy of some of Woodford’s Ulawa danaine butterflies.

Danaus affinis mendana ssp. n. (Figs 53, 54, 59, 60)

Description. Male fwl 33mm; small and dull in comparison to other Solomon
Islands races; ups markings small and inconspicuous (vestigial or absent in D. a.
decipiens; more extensive in all other Solomons races); median white markings
absent; uns with similar markings, dull; genitalia not examined. Female similar.

Distribution. Reported from Ndeni (Santa Cruz) and the Reef Islands, flying in
January, February and October. It is not known whether D. affinis flies on other
islands of the Santa Cruz Group.

Type material. HOLOTYPE <3: Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Group, Ndeni
Island, 10-I15km south of Lata, 100-180m, 14.x.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH).
PARATYPES: 1 2, Santa Cruz Group, Ndeni Island, Graciosa Bay, Luembalble
river to Luesalo (RTC), SL, 12.x.1997, W. J. Tennent; 4 33g, 2 99, Santa Cruz
[Ndeni], Graciosa Bay, 20.11.1956, F. R. Hollins (all BMNH).

Etymology. Named after the Spanish explorer Alvaro Mendana, credited with
being the first European to ‘discover’ the Solomon Islands, whose second, ill-fated,
expedition to the western pacific in 1595, resulted in his death from disease on Ndeni.

Comment. Placement of populations of D. affinis to subspecies 1s often uncertain
(R. I. Vane-Wright, pers. comm.) and the status of the many widely diverse Pacific
populations is not clear. The species is inclined to evolve distinctive phenotypes on
islands throughout the Malay Archipelago and it flies throughout the Solomons,
including the Santa Cruz Group, with several distinct races on remote islands. In
overall appearance, races often have little obvious affinity with those on
neighbouring islands, possibly due to a ‘founder effect’ which allows for rapid
divergence from a limited gene pool brought by ‘founder’ individual colonists. In the
Solomons, there is also what is presumed to be significant pressure on phenotype
brought about by mimetic relationships among species of Euploea, Danaus
(Danainae) and Hypolimnas (Nymphalinae).

Ackery & Vane-Wright (1984: 153) remarked on a “‘curious D. affinis form” based
on specimens in the BMNH from the Santa Cruz Group. Further material has since
become available. In comparison with other Solomons affinis, this race is small and
dull, with all white markings reduced in size and extent. This paper raises the number
of described D. affinis races present in the Solomon Islands to seven: decipiens (TL:
‘Solomon Islands’); monoensis (TL: Treasury); albonotata (TL: Rennell); cometho
Godman & Salvin, 1888 (TL: Malaita); u/awaensis (TL: Ulawa); insolata Butler, 1870

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 21

. Clodia

aoe
V. a. catenes

monoensis

B°

D. a. insolata

D. a. albonotata

156° 158° 160°
4

Map 3. Distribution of Danaus affinis in the Solomon Islands.

22 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Figs 61-66, upperside, 67-72 underside. Tirumala hamata richardi ssp. n. (Ulawa), 61, 67 3
holotype; 62, 68 2 paratype; Euploea batesii ackeryi ssp. n. (Ulawa), 63, 69 3 holotype; 64, 70 2
paratype; Euploea leucostictos polymela (Ulawa), 65, 71 2; Euploea leucostictos form roseus form
n. (Ulawa), 66, 72 9 type.

(TL: ‘Solomon Islands’ [San Cristobal]); mendana (TL: Ndeni). Distribution of these
races 1s shown on Map 3.

Euploea batesti ackeryi ssp. n. (Figs 63, 64, 69, 70)

Description. Male fwl 40mm; similar to other Solomons races of E. batesii C & R
Felder, 1865; ups brown, unmarked (variable, but usually with upf postdiscal spot

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 23

é

en es Ee BT A RL

; ; i ;mm ; : i i i ‘

Figs 67-72 (caption opposite).

and at least a trace of upf pale streak above submedian vein in E. b. honesta Butler,
1882; uph with submarginal series of white spots in E. b. woodfordi Godman &
Salvin, 1888; upf apex extensively suffused white in E. b. leucacron Carpenter, 1953);
uns brown; median/postmedian spots reduced in size and number; genitalia not
examined. Female ups unmarked except for 2 or 3 obscure fw discal spots, no trace
of prominent pale streak above median vein which characterises most individuals of
E. b. honesta; uns similar to E. b. honesta; markings small.

Distribution. Ulawa.

Type material. HOLOTYPE <3: Ulawa, north, Swumolh, SL, 22.11.1997, W. J.
Tennent (BMNH); PARATYPES: | 9, same data as holotype; 1 2, Ulawa, north,

24 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

era

73¢ 73b

74a :

74b

Figs 73-74, male genitalia. 73, Phaedyma fissizonata philipi a, genitalia (lateral view), aedeagus
removed; b, tegumen (dorsal view); c, aedeagus (lateral view); 74, Phaedyma viridens a, genitalia,
aedeagus removed (lateral view); b, tegumen (dorsal view).

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 25

t
t
U
i
1
!
/

76a 7TTa

a ae Gf!

75b 76b 7T7b

76¢

Figs 75-77, male genitalia. 75, Argyronympha rubianensis a, genitalia (right side), aedeagus
removed; b, pseuduncus (posterior section) (lateral view): c, aedeagus (lateral view); 76,
Argyronympha gracilipes a—c, ditto; 77, Argyronympha danker a-c, ditto.

26 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Kellmei and Harrina village areas, SL-40m, 24.11.1997, W. J. Tennent (both
BMNH).
Etymology. This taxon is named after Phil Ackery, authority on the Danainae.
Comment. As with several other Ulawa endemic butterfly taxa, batesii from Ulawa
is more similar in appearance to races which fly on islands further to the west than to
those on the adjacent islands of Malaita, immediately to the west, or San Cristobal to
the south.

Euploea leucostictos form roseus form n. (Figs 66, 72)

Description. Female fwl 40mm; resembles E. /. be/llona Howarth, 1962 (Bellona);
upf dark brown; submarginal white spots prominent; subapical spots in spaces 4-8
with pinkish-white scales extending basad, particularly in space 6 (lacking in E. /.
bellona; upf unmarked in E. /. polymela Godman & Salvin, 1888); upf submarginal
spots prominent (small, series incomplete in E. /. polymela); uns with typical
leucostictos markings, prominent (usually small, inconspicuous in E. /. polymela).

Distribution. Ulawa.

Type material. HOLOTYPE 9&: Solomon Islands, Ulawa, north, Harrina village
area, 40m, 25.11.1997, W. J. Tennent (BMNH).

Comment. The race of E. leucostictos which occurs on Ulawa is E. I. polymela,
which also occurs on the Shortlands, Treasury, Choiseul, Santa Isabel, Malaita, the
New Georgia Group, Florida and Guadalcanal. The status of f. roseus, described as
a form of /eucostictos, is not clear. It is very different in appearance to the usual
female of E. /. polymela (Figs. 65, 71), which varies little. The individual described
was very distinctive in flight; no other specimens were seen.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Mr Moses Biliki, Ministry of Forests, Environment and Conservation, Honiara,
supported the author’s butterfly studies in the Solomon Islands; Mrs Audrey Ruza,
Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, Honiara, issued
research permits for field work; Mr Tim and Mrs Relma Turner, were generous in
their hospitality in Honiara; Mr Ian Woods, USA Peace Corps, kindly collected
material for the author on Vella Lavella; Mr George Hiva and Mrs Marion Ku’u
provided guidance and hospitality in equal measure in the Russell Islands; Mr Ray
Shannon, Auckland, New Zealand donated study material to the BMNH; Dr
Marianne Horak, Department of Entomology, CSIRO, Canberra, Dr Scott Miller,
Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, and Mrs Ruth Liliquola, Dodo Creek
Research Station, Honiara, kindly allowed access to, and loans from, the collections
in their care. Further assistance was provided by Dr Chris Samson (GB-Maidstone),
Mr Dick Vane-Wright, Department of Entomology, The Natural History Museum,
London. The author’s first field visit to the Solomon Islands in 1996 was partially
funded by the Exploration Board of Imperial College of Science, Technology and
Medicine, London, The Linnean Society, London and the Royal Entomological
Society, London. Significant funding for this and subsequent field visits was provided
by the Trustees of the Godman Exploration Fund.

REFERENCES

Ackery, P.R. & Vane-Wright, R.I. 1984. Milkweed butterflies: their cladistics and biology,
BM(NH) London.

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 27

D’Abrera, B. 1971. Butterflies of the Australian Region, Lansdowne, Melbourne.

D’Abrera, B. 1978. Butterflies of the Australian Region |2nd edition], Lansdowne, Melbourne.

D’Abrera, B. 1990. Butterflies of the Australian Region [3rd (revised) edition]. Hill House,
Melbourne.

Dunn, K.L. & Dunn, L.E. 1991. Review of Australian butterflies: distribution, life history and
taxonomy, Power Press, Victoria.

Eliot, J.N. 1969. An analysis of the Eurasian and Australian Neptini (Lepidoptera:
Nymphalidae), Bulletin of the British Museum Natural History (Entomology) (Suppl.),
15: 1-55.

Felder, C. 1860. Lepidopterorum Amboinensium species: novae diagnosibus collustratae 1.
Rhopalocera, Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie Der Wissenschaften, 40 (11): 448—
468.

Fruhstorfer, H. 1912. Nymphalidae. In Seitz, A. 1908-1928. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde,
9, Die Indo-Australischen Tagfalter, 2 vols. Stuttgart.

Godman, F.D. & Salvin, O. 1888. New species of butterflies collected by Mr C. M. Woodford in
the Solomon Islands. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, (series 6) 1: 90-101.
Gross, G.F. 1975. The land invertebrates of the New Hebrides and their relationships.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, (series B), 272: 391-421.

Parsons, M.J. 1998. The butterflies of Papua New Guinea: Their systematics and biology,
Academic Press, London.

Samson, C. 1979. Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) of the Santa Cruz group of islands,
Solomon Islands, Aurelian, Beckley, 1 (2): 1-19.

Samson, C. 1983. Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) of Vanuatu, Naika: Journal of the
Vanuatu Natural Science Society, 10: 2-6.

Talbot, G. 1932. New forms of Lepidoptera from the Oriental region, Bulletin of the Hill
Museum, Witley, 4: 155-169.

Tennent, W.J. 1998. Biodiversity and biogeography of Solomon Islands butterflies. Unpublished
MSc Thesis, University of Kent at Canterbury.

Tennent, W.J. 1999. Two new Arhopala Boisduval taxa from the Solomon Islands, and
resolution of the status of A. tindali Ribbe and A. styx Evans (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae).
Nachrichten Entomologischen Vereins Apollo, 20 (2): 195-206.

Tennent, W.J. 1999. Notes on some Solomon Islands Papilio Linnaeus, with descriptions of
four new subspecies (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). Nachrichten Entomologischen Vereins
Apollo, 20 (2): 207-230.

Tennent, W. J. 1999c. The genus Psychonotis Toxopeus in the Solomon Islands, with
descriptions of five new taxa (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Australian Entomologist, 26 (4):
115-123.

Tennent, W. J. 2000a. A new butterfly genus, species and subspecies from the Solomon Islands
(Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae, Polyommatini). British Journal of Entomology and Natural
History, 13: 87-90.

Tennent, W. J. 2000b. Notes on Deudorix Hewitson in the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck
Archipelago and New Guinea, with description of nine new taxa (Lepidoptera:
Lycaenidae). Australian Entomologist, 27 (1): 9-26.

Tennent, W. J. 2000c. Thirteen new butterflies from the Solomon Islands (Lepidoptera:
Lycaenidae). Butterflies, 25: 9-22.

Tennent, W. J. in press a, A review of the genus Mycalesis Htibner, in the Solomons
Archipelago, with descriptions of eight new taxa (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae).
Tropical Lepidoptera.

Tennent, W. J. in press b, Three new Hypochrysops C & R Felder, 1860 taxa from the Solomon
Islands, including a new species from the Santa Cruz Group (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae).
Tropical Lepidoptera.

Tennent, W. J. in prep., Butterflies of the Solomon Islands: their systematics and biogeography.

Tite, G.E. 1966. A revision of the genus Anthene from the Oriental region. Bulletin of the British
Museum Natural History (Entomology), 18 (8): 255-275.

28 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

SHORT COMMUNICATION

Further records of Nysius senecionis (Schilling) in the London area.—Since first finding this
small bug in 1998 in huge numbers on the banks of the Thames in urban central London (R.
A. Jones; 1999, Br. J. Ent. Nat. Hist. 12: 229-231), [have continued to search for it, especially
in association with the Guernsey fleabane, Conyza sumatrensis (Retzius).

During 1999 I was fortunate enough to take part in a capital-wide survey of railway
tracksides for London Underground. The tracksides varied from dense wood and scrub to
recently scoured banks where recent engineering works had taken place. Such works
usually created at least partly scoured earthworks with areas of bare soil and disturbed
ground—perfect sites for the rapid colonization of adventitious plants, including, of
course, Conyza. Sure enough, almost wherever the Conyza occurred, so did the Nysius. It
was recorded from the following widespread sites.

rough ballast along with a few other sparse straggling plants beside the station platform.

Fulham Broadway, TQ256774, 5.vii.1999, many swept from the large stands of C.
sumatrensis on a broad flowery embankment.

Parson’s Green, TQ254770, 8.vili.1999, several sweeping C. sumatrensis growing from
the trackside ballast at the edge of bramble scrub and narrow woodland.

Shoreditch, TQ340822, 11.vi.1999, many on C. swmatrensis growing up amongst the
broken concrete foundations of a derelict building behind the station. The bug was also beaten
off several small clumps of Oxford ragwort, Senecio squalidus Linnaeus, but could not be
found on the many plants of Canadian fleabane, Conyza canadensis (Linnaeus) also present.

Loughton, TQ422951, 17.vi.1999, several swept from C. swmatrensis on a broad gently
sloping area of rough grassland around the sidings.

Hendon, TQ232885, 23.vi.1999, several by sweeping C. sumatrensis on a broad
embankment recently churned up by heavy earthmoving machinery.

covering one end of a narrow but very flowery embankment.

All of these sites are in highly urban parts of London, but it cannot be long before the
fleabane and the bug are more widespread, travelling along the brownfield corridors of the
railway lines—RICHARD A. JONES, 135 Friern Road, East Dulwich, London SE22 0AZ.

EPHEMEROPTERA RECORDING SCHEME

The Ephemeroptera recording scheme has been set up under the auspices of the Biological
Records Centre at Monks Wood, to encourage the recording of Ephemeroptera species
throughout the British Isles. The principal aim of the scheme is to collect records of
Ephemeroptera. This will allow distribution maps to be compiled and changes in the
distribution of Ephemeroptera populations to be monitored.

The Ephemeroptera recording scheme 1s looking for any records of Ephemeroptera
species from all over the British Isles. Adult Ephemeroptera can be collected throughout
most of the summer, while the aquatic larvae of many species can be found during the
winter, so that recording can be carried out all year round.

If you have records of Ephemeroptera species or you want to know more about the
Ephemeroptera recording scheme then contact:

Ephemeroptera Recording Scheme

c/o Craig Macadam

East of Scotland Water, Pentland Gait, 597 Calder Road

Edinburgh EH11 4HJ

Tel: 0131 453 7508, Fax: 0131 453 7509

E-mail: craig.macadam(@esw.co.uk

Website: http:/www.ephemeroptera.brittanica.freeservers.com

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 29

CHANGES IN THE STATUS OF THE RED WOOD ANT
FORMICA RUFA L. (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) IN NORTH
WEST ENGLAND DURING THE 20TH CENTURY

NEIL A. ROBINSON
3 Abbey Drive, Natland, Kendal LAY 70N

Abstract. The red wood ant Formica rufa L. has declined in the Lake District
during the course of the century, and has virtually disappeared since the 1950s.
However, there are still thriving populations on limestone sites in both the
Lancashire and Cumbria parts of the Arnside-Silverdale Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty (AONB), where it is present at 8 locations. The north end of
Underlaid Wood, at SD492798, is now the northern limit of the species’ range in
England. Factors contributing to the decline are discussed, with the conclusion that
the most likely cause of the collapse of the Lake District populations was a 3 year run
of abnormally heavy May rainfall in 1966-1968, which caused extinction on several
sites, after which the surviving populations continued to decline. The status of the
remaining populations in the AONB, which do not appear to be under threat and are
mostly on sites receiving favourable management, is reviewed.

BACKGROUND TO THE SURVEY

The wood ants Formica rufa L. and Formica lugubris Zetterstedt construct
conspicuous mound nests, usually in woodland. Satchell & Collingwood (1955)
reported the results of surveys in 1954 in the English Lake District. F. rufa was found
in abundance in the South Lake District near Arnside and Grange-over-Sands,
sparsely around Windermere (lake, not town) and at three isolated sites further
north. F. /ugubris was found to be present in the woodlands of the Duddon Valley
from Duddon Bridge up to Seathwaite, and in Borrowdale around Ashness Bridge
and up the Lodore Beck. The distribution of F. /ugubris has not changed in the past
45 years. It is still common in the woodlands of the Duddon Valley (Karen Sampson,
English Nature, pers. comm., and N.A.R. obs. 1998). In Borrowdale its nests can
readily be seen beside the Ashness Bridge car park and along the roadside through
Lodore Woods. However, a preview of the distribution map for F. rufa (Edwards,
1997) indicated that it had disappeared from its former locations in the Lake District,
though it was still present in the Arnside area. Decline of F. rufa populations has also
been reported in Wales (Fowles, 1994), and in Cheshire, where they have disappeared
from the Delamere Forest (Carl Clee, pers. comm.). It was to investigate the current
distribution of F. rufa in Cumbria and Lancashire, and the possible reasons for its
decline, that this study was begun in 1996, and completed in 1999 with support from
English Nature’s Species Recovery Programme, with some final updating in 2000.
This account draws heavily on the 1955 paper for historical details.

CHANGES IN DISTRIBUTION BEFORE 1954

Satchell & Collingwood (1955) described F. rufa as being found in abundance on
Carboniferous limestone near Arnside and Grange-over-Sands, and sparsely on the
Silurian slates and flags around Windermere. There were, in addition, three isolated
sites: at Hoff Lunn near Appleby, Parson’s Park, Caldbeck, each with a few colonies
only, and Dodd Wood on the Bassenthwaite slopes of Skiddaw, representing the

30 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

most northerly outposts of the species. They distinguished between sites on the
Carboniferous limestone along the southern edge of the Lake District and around
Arnside (now known as the Morecambe Bay Limestone Natural Area) and those on
the Silurian slates and flags and other formations further north (Lake District Fells
and Dales Natural Area). They concluded that, in the latter, wood ants were already
in decline because, although there were still 7 active sites on these rocks (Table 2,
Section A), there were also 9 sites where colonies had become extinct during previous
decades (Table 1).

The locations of both categories of these sites are shown by tetrads in Fig. | (not
all the sites appear because in some cases more than one occur in a single tetrad). The
1955 authors did not give grid references, but the sites have been located to the
nearest | km square of the national grid from their table of sites (which also gives
details of geology and woodland type). The 1km square references are given in the
Tables | and 2. Some which could not be located accurately are indicated by **?”’.

-+ Former colonies extinct in 1954

O Active in 1954, extinct in 1999

@ Active in 1954 and 1999

? Active in 1954, condition unknown in 1999

Figure |

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Table 1. Former sites extinct by 1954

Lakeside

Black Brows, near Claife

Low Wood, Windermere

near Satterthwaite

Powder Works, Backbarrow
Heald Wood near High Wray
Rayrigg Woods near Bowness
Yewbarrow near Newby Bridge

SD3787

$D3797?
NY 3802
SD3392?
SD3483?
SD3799?
SD4098

SD3587

Beck Pane Wood near Ambleside NY3602

31

Ants used to be carried to Graythwaite for
pheasant food

Recorded 1912

One colony last seen about 1924
Ants last seen about 1929

Ants last seen about 1934

Ants last seen about 1934

One colony last seen about 1939
Ants last seen about 1947

Table 2. Sites with colonies in 1954

Site Grid ref. Nests in 1954

Condition by 1999

Section A: Sites on acid rock

Hoff Lunn NY6616
Dodd Wood NY 2327
Parson’s Park NY 3340

Burn Barrow Wood SD3482

Haverth. Heights SD3484
Ellerside Breast SD3579
Roudsea Wood SD3282

Section B: Sites on limestone

1 nest

numerous but localised
several nests
several nests

1 nest
3 nests

1 nest known 1960s

Part |: north side of Morecambe Bay

Blawith Fell SD4178
Eggerslack SD4078
Yew Barrow SD4078
Meathop Fell SD4379
High Crag Wood SD4485
Park Wood SD4386
White Scar SD4585
Old Park Wood SD3378

Part 2: Arnside—Silverdale area

Cumbria

Arnside Park/Knott SD4477
Underlaid Wood SD4878
Marble Quarry SD4978
Major Woods SD4978
Grubbins Wood SD4478
Lancashire

Gait Barrows SD4877
Cringlebarrow SD4974
Eaves Wood SD4677
Grisedale Wood SD4873
Trough Plantation SD4875

numerous
numerous
1 nest

numerous
numerous
numerous
1 nest

numerous, 30 counted

numerous

numerous

not known
not known
not known

numerous
numerous

numerous but localised

numerous

last seen 1967

absent 1993

absent 1993

not checked

not checked

not checked

active until 1996, defunct 1999

3 nests in 1996, 2 nests by 2000
2 nests in 1996, expired 1998
not found 1996

several nests 1988, absent 1999
absent early 1970s, ditto 1996
absent early 1970s, ditto 1993
not checked

absent 1993

numerous, larger area, at least 100
nests
widely distributed, est. c. 90 nests
7 nests found in 1999
20 nests found in 1999
13 active nests in 1999

abundant, over 100 nests counted 1996

present, 20 nests counted

34 nests counted in 1999, scattered

absent

numerous but localised absent

32 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Of the 22 sites where F. rufa was found, 15 were in the Arnside—Grange area,
extending from Old Park Wood in the west, through the Grange area, to Whitbarrow
in the east; and from Arnside south to Cringlebarrow. These are shown in Fig. | and
listed in Table 2, Section B (which also gives their condition at the end of the present
survey). The 1955 paper discussed physical factors possibly influencing distribution.
It was concluded that the rather open limestone woodlands of the South Lake
District, free draining and with a high proportion of bare, well insolated rock,
provided more suitable conditions for F. rufa than woods on other formations in the
area. It was also noted that this area, besides its limestone geology, differed
climatically from the Windermere area. The 49°F (9.4°C) isotherm (average mean of
the daily mean temperatures 1901—30) corresponded roughly with the northern limit
of the area in which F. rufa was abundant, and the average annual rainfall of Arnside
was about 22 inches (56cm) less than that of Windermere.

CHANGES BETWEEN 1954 AND 2000

By the end of the recent survey it was concluded that all the colonies on the
northern acid rocks had expired, and that only 2 nests survived on limestone (at
Brown Robin) on the north side of the Bay. There was, however, no indication of
decline in the Arnside—Silverdale AONB.

In the early 1970s people began to notice that wood ants had disappeared from
most of the sites on limestone in the South Lake District where they had
previously been numerous, though now, so long after the event, it is not easy to
establish the facts. During this period Peter Howard (pers. comm.), then at
Merlewood Research Station, noticed grassed-over mounds in Eggerslack Wood,
which probably were defunct F. rufa nests (though on this site 2 nests did survive
until 1998). It seems that in the same period the ants had disappeared from their
stronghold in Old Park Wood, Holker, where 30 nests had been counted in 1954,
and from Witherslack Woods where there had been numerous nests on the
woodland edge along the foot of the scree below Whitbarrow, and local people
had noticed their absence in the early 1970s (Cedric Collingwood, pers. comm.).
In Limegarth Wood on Meathop Fell, where there had been numerous nests in
1954, Cedric Collingwood noticed a decline in 1967-69. From these observations,
and the general recollections of local people canvassed by Cedric Collingwood, it
appears that a drastic decline of F. rufa on South Lake District limestone sites
took place in the last few years of the 1960s, to the extent of extinction on some
of the sites by the early 1970s.

The only limestone sites on the north side of the Bay where wood ants are
known to have survived are: Meathop (Limegarth) Wood where several nests were
still present in 1988 (Michael Sykes, ex-ITE, pers. comm.), Eggerslack Wood with 2
nests until 1998 and Brown Robin (Blawith Fell) with 3 nests in 1996, but only 2
by 2000. Checks by Cedric Collingwood in 1991-93 at Old Park Wood and
Witherslack found no wood ants. However, there is no indication of decline in the
wood ant population on Arnside Knott, only 2km in latitude further south, and
wood ants were abundant on Gait Barrows, in Lancashire, when the NNR was
established in 1975.

Little information is available about the fate of the outlying northern colonies
during this period. The Hoff Lunn nest was last recorded in 1967, when a note
initialled P.S. in the Field Naturalist, Vol. 11 No. 4, 1967, reported that: ‘‘a very small
nest was found in birch scrub this summer some 80 yards from the original site’. In

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 33

1991-93 Cedric Collingwood found that they were no longer present at Dodd Wood,
Skiddaw, or at Parson’s Park, Caldbeck.

No attempt was made during the survey to trace the nests known in 1954 at
Ellerside Breast, Burn Barrow Wood or Haverthwaite Heights because there was no
precise location information and too large an area to search. There had only been a
few nests, even in 1954. Renny Park Coppice was visited in 1999 but no nests were
seen in this acid oak woodland, which contained much rhododendron and clearly
had been managed as a pheasantry in the past. The Dodd Wood and Calbeck sites
had been reported as defunct by Cedric Collingwood by 1993. Stephen Hewitt was
unable to find the Hoff Lunn nest in 1999, but there was no information about its
former location on this large site. In 1998 I learned that there had been a single nest
at Roudsea Wood (SD3282), situated in a conifer plantation on Silurian rock. This
nest had been known to Cedric Collingwood, though not during the original survey,
but is presumed to have been present at that time. It was known to the NNR staff
into the 1990s, but was found to be defunct in 1999.

CHANGES WITHIN THE SURVEY PERIOD 1996—2000

A request for current records of F. rufa was published 1n the Carlisle Naturalist in
March 1996 (Vol. 4, No. 1). The only positive information which was received was
that they were still present at Brown Robin (SD4178), the Cumbria Wildlife Trust
(CWT) Reserve on Blawith Fell near Grange-over-Sands. In 1996 three nests were
found in a coppice exclosure: one very large, clearly long-established, and 2 smaller
colonies. Two long-established nests were also found in nearby Eggerslack Wood
(SD4078). In March 1997 they were beginning to be active, but May was a very wet
month (Table 3) and in the autumn they were all found to have accumulated very
little thatch, suggesting they had not had a good season. In 1998 it was found that
both nests in Eggerslack Wood had expired, as had also the largest one in Brown

Table 3. Monthly rainfall at Merlewood (mm)

April May June
1959 121.0 42.5 116.2
1960 92.6 79.1 730
1961 144.8 50.6 eae)
1962 99.3 91.8 62.8
1963 93.7 84.5 92.1
1964 74.3 99.9 101.2
1965 TS 84.7 124.4
1966 92.0 12227 139.8
1967 39.5 133.4 68.7
1968 61.5 104.2 92.4
1969 79.6 93.8 89.7
1970 [42.1 27.6 Si
1996 88.2 63.2 38.0
1997 33.9 11527 72.8
1998 64.2 47.5 17521

Mean 72.0 10.5 82.0

34 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Robin. A check of nests on Arnside Knott and Gait Barrows found no
corresponding decline in these sites further south. By October 1999 the larger of
the two survivors in Brown Robin seemed to be defunct, having disappeared, like all
the surrounding area, under dense growth of bramble, but in 2000 was found to be
still active. The other colony had moved from its mound to a more favourable site. It
looked very weak, but was still surviving in 2000.

POSSIBLE FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR DECLINE, BEFORE 1954

At the time of the 1954 survey the populations of F. rufa on the limestone
appeared to be stable, but those on the Silurian rock further north were clearly in
decline. The more stringent climatic conditions in the Windermere woodlands and
the reduction of ground insolation by invading bracken were considered by the 1955
authors to be the major factors contributing to the decline. However, they had found
records, and much anecdotal information, which suggested that many of the
locations on the Silurian had been introductions.The practice of introducing wood
ants into pheasantries was widespread towards the end of the 19th century; attempts
being made to establish colonies as sources of brood for feeding to young pheasants.
The colonies at Renny Park Coppice, Beck Pane Wood and other parts of the
Brathay Hall Estate had been introduced, according to local information, about 60
years earlier. The ants at Haverthwaite Heights were also said to have been
introduced, likewise those at Dodd Wood, near Keswick, and there had been an
unsuccessful attempt to establish them on the Lowther Estate near Penrith from Hoff
Lunn. There was also supposed to have been an unsuccessful attempt to introduce
ants from the Duddon to the Grizedale Estate—the only report of an introduction
involving F. /ugubris. This activity must have involved removing colonies from their
habitat and depositing them in sites not of their choosing, and, more seriously,
outside what seems to have been their natural northern climatic limit at the time. It
is, therefore, not surprising that they did not thrive. It seems significant that only at
Dodd Wood were nests described as numerous, elsewhere usually one or a few,
suggesting that this was the only site where introduction had succeeded in
establishing a population. The fact that they persisted so long at other places,
before finally expiring, suggests remarkable vigour and tenacity on the part of the
species.

It was, however, interesting to observe during the survey that wood ants can
coexist with pheasant rearing. Pheasants may scratch and scatter nests but do not
seem to do serious damage to the colonies, unlike badgers, which sometimes deeply
excavate them. Sometimes nests were found next to pheasantries, in clearings made
for the birds. Green woodpeckers, which certainly eat ants, have been suspected of
damaging colonies, making conical holes in the mound, particularly in autumn, and
leaving characteristic “‘cigarette-end”’ droppings, but this damage seems to be only
superficial.

POSSIBLE FACTORS AFTER 1954

Loss or mismanagement of habitat is frequently blamed for loss of species, but a
surprising feature of the drastic decline of F. rufa on South Lakeland limestone sites
in the late 1960s is that the ants disappeared from sites where the habitat had not
changed and still appears to be suitable. At Old Park Wood, for instance, there is
bare limestone in patchy woodland, and along the foot of Whitbarrow there is still,
along the woodland edge, well insolated scree sheltered by overhanging cliffs, exactly

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 35

as described in 1955. This, and the fact that the ants disappeared or declined over
such a wide range of sites at the same time, while apparently being unaffected only
2km in latitude further south, suggests that a climatic factor was the primary cause
of the collapse of the south Lakeland populations.

The best-remembered event of this period was the exceptionally severe winter of
1963, when the ground was frozen to unprecedented depths. This, however, is
unlikely to have been responsible since F. rufa is unaffected by the prolonged sub-
zero conditions of Scandinavian winters (Cedric Collingwood, pers. comm.). The
effects of heavy rainfall at critical times in the life cycle seem a more probable cause.
In Cedric Collingwood’s opinion (pers. comm.), the critical period is May, when the
colony is rearing the new season’s brood. If this is successful the colony can survive
even a bad summer. Conversely, failure to rear the brood may render the colony
unable to carry out its functions; and hence to survive. Merlewood Research Station,
near Grange-over-Sands, began recording minimum and maximum temperature in
1980, but has been keeping rainfall records since 1959. These show that May, on
long-term average, is the driest month of the year, which must generally be
favourable to the ants. However, Table 3 gives the monthly rainfall (mm.) for April,
May and June 1959-1970, and also for 1996-1999, as the latter appears relevant to
recent events. This shows that May 1966, 1967 and 1968 had exceptionally high
rainfall, being 74%, 89% and 48% in excess of the long-term mean for the month.
The wet May of 1966 was also followed by an exceptionally wet June: 70% over the
mean. Rainfall in May of over 100mm has occurred sporadically in other years, but
1966-1968 are the only three years in the recording period in which it occurred in
succession. The present author considers this run of consecutive wet springs to be the
most likely cause of the collapse of F. rufa populations at that time. The wet May of
1997 is also suspected of contributing to the demise of the 2 nests in Eggerslack
Wood and one in Brown Robin, and probably also the one at Roudsea.

This conclusion raises questions as to why the populations in the Arnside area,
only 2km in latitude further south, were not affected; and why those populations
which survived the 1966—1968 collapse did not recover. No information 1s available
as to how the Arnside populations fared in the 1960s, but, as only two populations
have disappeared and the remainder appear vigorous, it can be concluded that they
were not seriously affected. No comparable monthly rainfall figures have been
obtained, but the meteorological information of the 1955 authors indicates an annual
rainfall of about 1016mm for Arnside, whereas the long-term monthly mean for
Merlewood gives 1212 mm. This suggests that the rainfall at Arnside could have been
less in the critical period. Small differences in climatic conditions can have a
disproportionately large effect on species at the edge of their range, and it appears
that the events of 1966-1968 initiated a contraction of the northern limit of F. rufa in
North West England by 2km of latitude. By circumstances of geography, this was
enough to render it almost extinct in the southern Lake District. The three places
where it survived longest are clustered around Grange-over-Sands, which is noted for
its mild climate.

The question as to why the surviving populations did not recover requires (brief)
consideration of the biology and the habitat requirements of the species. Males and
queens emerge from nests in June and mating takes place on or near the nests, after
which the queens shed their wings. Although literature states that mated queens can
establish nests by taking over colonies of F. fusca or F. lemani (Skinner & Allen,
1996), this seems to have rarely been observed. It is probable that colonies most
commonly propagate through budding, in which mated queens return to the natal
nest and recruit a group of workers to move out and establish a new colony. With

36 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

regard to habitat, F. rufa is a shade-tolerant woodland ant which maintains higher
than ambient temperature in the nest in summer using metabolic heat derived from
their intake of carbohydrates in ‘honeydew’ from aphids (Bryan, 1977; Pontin, 1996).
Measurements of the percentage of the potential insolation which was actually
reaching ant nests in the south of England (Pontin, op. cit.) indicated that F. rufa
nests were most commonly found in partial shade, but could persist in under 25%
insolation, and fewest were found in over 75%. General observations suggest that the
picture is much the same in the North West of England. Nests are commonly found
in sheltered situations receiving some sunlight, e.g. on woodland edges, or by the
sides of rides and paths, often just under the edge of the branches of an adjacent tree
or shrub. However, on Arnside Knott a few, usually with very low mounds, are on
totally exposed slopes and some, usually very large old nests, can be found under
closed canopy, and the latter was observed on several other sites. Indeed,
observations by the author during the survey period suggested that F. rufa
populations can exist in two contrasting modes, which might be termed the
“dynamic” and the “‘static’’. The dynamic state is found on sites with good diversity
of conditions, such as Arnside Knott and Gait Barrows NNR, where one frequently
finds new nests, composed only of thatch, ““middle-aged”’ nests which are developing
soil bases and very old nests with soil bases 3m or more in diameter, often becoming
shaded and abandoned. There is clearly a continual turnover of nests as colonies
move or expand. The static state 1s seen on sites with closed canopy, such as Major
Woods and parts of Cringlebarrow—Deepdale. Here there are few, if any, new nests
but widely separated very large old nests, typically with tall steep-sided conical
mounds on very wide soil bases. The availability of good forage trees from which the
workers can obtain honeydew and insect prey is likely to be the critical factor in
enabling these shaded colonies to persist, but it is not certain that they can survive
indefinitely under these conditions. The environment of nests must therefore be
profoundly affected by woodland management. The practice of coppicing (cutting
woods on rotation and promoting regrowth from stumps) which would have
maintained the ant’s most favoured habitat, was the main mode of woodland
management in the Lake District from the Middle ages to the 1914-1918 War. In the
Midlands F. rufa can live under closed canopy (Cedric Collingwood, pers. comm.)
but under the more stringent climatic conditions of the southern Lake District the
decline of coppicing and consequent exclusion of sunlight by closure of the canopy is
likely to have been generally disadvantageous to the ants. This situation can be seen
in the sites where F. rufa persisted for a time. Limegarth Wood (Meathop Fell) was
last coppiced in 1940 (Michael Sykes, per. comm.) and has gradually reverted to
closed canopy. Eggerslack Wood has not been actively managed recently, and
coppicing was not resumed in Brown Robin until 1995.

A further factor militating against the survival of small populations is likely to be
decline in vigour due to reduction of the gene pool. Mating of queens outside the nest
with males from other colonies gives the potential for reinvigorating the stock by
outbreeding, but this must decrease as the number of nests decreases. This probably
explains why one or two nests may persist on a site for a very long time, but
gradually become weaker.

STATUS OF POPULATIONS IN 2000

In the Arnside—Silverdale AONB the more open conditions of some of the sites,
their management as woodland resource or for rare butterflies by coppicing, glade
creation and scrub control, and the more favourable climate can account for the

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 37

ant’s continued presence. At present the populations appear to be stable and not
under threat. The 1954 locations were confirmed, except for Trough Plantation
where no nests were found, and Grisedale Wood where the owner and keeper both
assert that there are no wood ants. However, 3 sites were found which did not figure
in the earlier survey, giving a total of 8 locations.

Attempts were made to count the nests on all the extant sites, in order to put
minimum sizes on the populations, but this proved impractical for large sites, for
which estimates had to be based on partial counts. The results are summarised in
Table 2, Section B, and the sites can be classed as follows:

Major Populations

Gait Barrows NNR (Lancs.)—112 nests counted by students in 1996 (Farinacci &
Smith, 1996).

Arnside Knott SSSI (Cumbria)—encompasses the hill of the Knott and
Heathwaite (National Trust) and the private woodlands of Copridding and Arnside
Park. The 1955 report named and mapped only Arnside Park, which is now dense
woodland, but the population is much more extensive. In 1999 National Trust staff
counted 70 nests on the Knott. As c.20 can be seen along the cliff-top path on the
south of Arnside Point, and they are also present in Frith Wood and on Heathwaite,
the total population of the SSSI must be at least 100 nests.

Underlaid Wood SSSI (Cumbria)—30 nests were counted in the part south of the
footpath to Fairy Steps. As this is about one-third of the SSSI, and similar habitat
with nests extends to the north end, an estimate of c.90 nests can be made. The north
end is now the northern limit of range of F. rufa in England as it is about 9 km north
in latitude of the only remaining colony in Yorkshire, at Dallowgill (SE1871).

Medium populations

Cringlebarrow—Deepdale SSSI (Lancs.)—20 nests counted in Deepdale and
extending onto the south end of Cringlebarrow.

Eaves Wood SSSI (Lancs.)—National Trust staff counted 34 nests in 1999.

Major Woods (Cumbria)—20 nests counted, probably more.

Minor populations

Marble Quarry and Hale Fell SSSI (Cumbria)—only 7 nests found, though more
have been reported (Martin Colledge FC, pers.comm.), but it only seems to support a
small population.

Grubbins Wood CWT Reserve (Cumbria)—10 large active nests found, and 3
small ones.

Brown Robin CWT Reserve (Cumbria)—2 nests, one very weak.

IMPLICATIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT

Although nests can persist for a long time under closed canopy, they are most
active in more diverse conditions.

Wood ants benefit most from continual low-key management operations which do
not drastically alter the habitat: e.g. selective thinning or timber extraction, coppicing
and the creation of glades for butterflies or pheasants.

Once woodland has become over-mature it is dificult to retrieve the situation,
because heavy thinning or drastic coppicing may remove trees which shelter nests
from rain, and important forage trees near nests, without necessarily reducing

38 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

shading by other trees. Alternatively, if it does admit light it may promote the growth
of ground vegetation such as bramble which can smother nests and indeed the whole
woodland floor.

Because of their dependence on colony reproduction by budding, if conditions
become unfavourable they are unable to respond by dispersing into new sites.
Therefore they need to be conserved where they are.

Although, as a generalisation, any low-key management is better than than none
at all, wherever possible woodland management should take account of the needs of
individual wood ant nests. Trees or shrubs which shelter nests, usually on the north,
should not be removed, but it is beneficial to admit more light from the south and
west and to create open areas nearby into which new colonies can establish.

THE “GUEST ANT” FORMICOXENUS NITIDULUS (NYLANDER)

This tiny (3 mm) ant lives only in nests of F. rufa and related species of wood ants,
apparently stealing food from its hosts, but not harming them or being harmed by
them. It is rarely seen except in autumn when males, which are wingless and resemble
workers, emerge onto the surface of the mound. During the survey they were seen on
nests on Gait Barrows NNR and Arnside Knott SSSI (Robinson, 1998, 1999) and at
Underlaid Wood SSSI. They were not seen at Eaves Wood SSSI, but have been
reported there by Keith Alexander (NT) and Cedric Collingwood (pers. comms.)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful to Stephen Hewitt, Keeper of Natural Sciences, Tullie House
Museum, Carlisle, for preparing the Distribution Map, using DMAP software; to the
National Trust for supplying their survey data; to Clive Woods, Institute of
Terrestrial Ecology, Merlewood Research Station for supplying the Merlewood
rainfall records and to the ITE for permission to use this data. The survey was
completed with financial support from English Nature’s Species Recovery
Programme.

REFERENCES

Brian, M. V. 1997. Ants. The New Naturalist Series. Collins.

Edwards, R. (ed.) 1997. Provisional Atlas of the aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain and Ireland
Part 1. Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society. Huntingdon: Biological Records Centre.

Farinacci, M. & Smith, C. 1996. Survey of the wood ant Formica rufa at Gait Barrows NNR.
Unpublished report to English Nature.

Fowles, A. P. 1994. A review of the ecology of the red wood ant Formica rufa L. (Hymenoptera,
Formicidae) and its status in Wales. Conservation Ecology in Wales No. 1. Countryside
Council for Wales.

Pontin, J. 1996. Ant Nests, Sun and Shade—their measurement and significance for invertebrate
conservation. British Wildlife 8: 21—27.

Robinson, N. A. 1998. Observations on the ‘Guest Ant” Formicoxenus nitidulus (Nyl.) 1n nests
of the Red Wood Ant Formica rufa L. in 1997. British Journal of Entomology and Natural
History 11: 125-128.

Robinson, N. A. 1999. Observations on the “Guest Ant” Formicoxenus nitidulus Nylander in
nests of the wood ants Formica rufa L. and Formica lugubris Zetterstedt in 1998. British
Journal of Entomology and Natural History 12: 138-140.

Satchell, J. E. & Collingwood, C. A. 1955. The Wood Ants of the English Lake District. North
West Naturalist, March 1955.

Skinner, G. J. & Allen G. W. 1996. Ants. Naturalists’ Handbooks 24. Richmond.

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 39

A SCUTTLE FLY (DIPTERA: PHORIDAE) NEW TO BRITAIN
CAUGHT IN A NET SUSPENDED 200 METRES ABOVE
THE GROUND

R. H. L. DISNEY
University Department of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ

J. W. CHAPMAN
Entomology & Nematology Department, [ACR Rothamsted, Harpenden, Herts ALS 2JQ

Abstract. Triphleba renidens Schmitz is added to the British List. The female
attributed to T. inaequalis Schmitz by Schmitz is now recognised as being 7. vitraea
(Wood). The missing female of 7. inaequalis is then recognised as being 7. chandleri
Disney, which is therefore synonymised with 7. inaequalis.

INTRODUCTION

The aerial fauna at approximately 200m above RAF Cardington, Bedfordshire,
was sampled continuously for a 10 day period during July 1999. Airborne
arthropods were sampled with a fine mesh net, with an aperture of 0.64m7, that
tapered to a detachable bag. The net was suspended underneath a tethered,
aerodynamically-shaped balloon filled with helium, and could be closed at the end of
sampling periods by a radio-controlled device. The altitude of the balloon during
sampling periods was estimated from the length of the anchoring cable and the angle
of its elevation (measured by an inclinometer). Estimated sampling heights on the
dates referred to below were 235m on 9.vu1.1999, 178m on 11.vi.1999 and 200m on
15.vui.1999. Insect samples were killed immediately, stored in ethanol, and identified
to family (by JWC). Samples were composed predominantly of aphids, small Diptera
and parasitic Hymenoptera.

Of a total of 289 Diptera sampled at altitude, four were Phoridae. Previous aerial
trapping studies have also found Phoridae to be frequently caught at altitude (e.g.
Hardy & Milne, 1938; Glick, 1939). Indeed this and other evidence (reviewed by
Disney, 1994) indicates that long-range wind-borne dispersal may be widespread in
this family. The four Phoridae obtained in the suspended net were identified (by
RHLD, who has deposited the specimens in the Cambridge University Museum of
Zoology) as a gravid female of Megaselia pleuralis (Wood), with 20 nearly mature
eggs (measuring 0.4mm in length), on 9.vii.1999; a male M. longicostalis (Wood) on
11.vu.1999; a female Megaselia sp., possibly the hitherto unknown female of
M. drakei Disney, but the females of this group remain poorly known; and a male
Triphleba renidens Schmitz on 15.vii.1999. The latter is the first British record of this
otherwise rare European species. Its identification is detailed below. The female of the
related 7. inaequalis Schmitz is reconsidered and it is concluded that the female
specimen attributed to this species by Schmitz (1943) is really a female of 7. vitrea
(Wood). This conclusion then allows recognition of 7. chandleri Disney as the missing
female of 7. inaequalis, so that T. chandleri is thereby synonymised with T. inaequalis.

TRIPHLEBA RENIDENS SCHMITZ

In the key to British species (Disney, 1983) the males are identified as 7. vitrea
(Wood) (couplet 19 lead 2). However, the left process of the epandrium 1s distinctly

40 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

longer in 7. renidens and extends well beyond the tips of the longest hairs on the cerci
(cf Figs 2 and 3). 7. inaequalis Schmitz (Fig. 1), not yet reported from Britain, is
somewhat intermediate between 7. renidens and T. vitraea. In the keys to the
Palaearctic species (Schmitz, 1943) 7. renidens and T. inaequalis are further
distinguished by the frons being shiny in the former and dull in the latter species.
In slide mounted specimens this translates into the microsetae being minute and
sparse (and being mainly found outside the area bounded by the antial and pre-
ocellar bristles) in 7. renidens, and into being larger and dense in 7. inaequalis. The
frons of 7. vitrea resembles the latter species. Indeed, these two species are very
similar, but in 7. inaequalis the left epandrial process is a little longer than that of
T. vitrea and the longest hairs of cerci do not reach the level of the tip of the process
(cf Figs | and 3).

The females of these three species are very similar to each other but are poorly
characterised by Schmitz (1943). That of 7. renidens will be identified as 7. vitrea
(couplet 19) in the key to British species (Disney, 1983). The abdominal sternite 7 of
T. vitrea as Fig. 4. This so closely resembles the figure of the S7 of 7. inaequalis given
by Schmitz (Fig. 113f) that it raised doubts about their distinction, discussed below.
Schmitz did not illustrate the S7 of T. renidens, but he described it as being strikingly
large, shovel shaped and with a hind margin that is a broad, rounded, gentle arc. The
female now attributed to 7. inaequalis (see below) has the S7 narrowed behind to a
dark projecting process.

Fig. 1. Tiphleba inaequalis male, left face of hypopygium. Scale bar =0.1 mm.

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 4]

Fig. 2. Triphleba renidens male, left face of hypopygium. Scale bar=0.1 mm.

Fig. 3. Triphleba vitrea left face of hypopygium. Scale bar =0.1 mm.

TRIPHLEBA INAEQUALIS SCHMITZ

Triphleba chandleri Disney, 1987: 191. Syn. nov.

Schmitz (1943) did not distinguish between the females of T. vitrea and
T. inaequalis, so that lead 1 of his couplet 30 ends with ‘(? vitrea Wood und)
inaequalis n. sp.’ He then based his perfunctory description of the female of 7. vitrea
on that of Wood, as he had evidently seen no specimen. By contrast the S7 of the

42 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Fig. 4. Triphleba vitrea female abdominal sternite 7. Scale bar =0.1 mm.

female illustrated in our Fig. 4, and identified as 7. vitrea, is from a specimen in a
series of males and females collected on the Malham Tarn NNR in Yorkshire. By
contrast, Schmitz’s single female attributed to 7. inaequalis was from Holland,
whereas his series of males of this species came from Germany. Furthermore, he
reported a series of males of 7. vitrea from his Dutch locality. Subsequently, a female
from Spain which also keys out at Schmitz’s couplet 30, was described as new,
T. chandleri Disney (1987), as its S7 has a narrow posterior projection (Fig. 1 in
Disney, 1987). However, this female was collected at the same place and time as two
males of 7. inaequalis. A more plausible explanation of these facts is that Schmitz
misidentified a Dutch female of T. vitrea as T. inaequalis. This in turn caused the true
female of the latter to be misidentified as a previously undescribed species,
T. chandleri. The latter is proposed as a synonym of T. inaequalis. Schmitz’s Fig.
113f and our Fig. 4 are now considered to be both illustrations of 7. inaequalis, and
the trivial differences are only what might be expected of different specimens drawn
by different artists.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

RHLD’s studies of Phoridae are funded by the Isaac Newton Trust (Trinity
College, Cambridge). JWC’s studies are funded by a ROPA grant from the
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council of the United Kingdom.
We would like to thank Don Reynolds, Alan Smith, Joe Riley and Ian Woiwod for
technical assistance with the aerial netting, and David Bamber of the Meteorological
Research Unit at Cardington for permission to carry out the work.

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 43

REFERENCES

Disney, R. H. L. 1983. Scuttle Flies—Diptera, Phoridae (except Megaselia). Handbooks for the
Identification of British Insects 10 (6): 1-81.

Disney, R. H. L. 1987. A new species of Triphleba from Spain and two new synonyms in this
genus (Dipt., Phoridae). Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 123: 191-194.

Disney, R. H. L. 1994. Scuttle Flies: The Phoridae. London: Chapman & Hall.

Glick, P. A. 1939. The distribution of insects, spiders and mites in the air, using traps mounted on
a small aeroplane. Technical Bulletin of the U.S. Department of Agriculture No. 673: 150 pp.

Hardy, A. C. & Milne, P. S. 1938. Studies in the distribution of insects by aerial currents.
Experiments in aerial tow-netting from kites. Journal of Animal Ecology 7: 199-229.

Schmitz, H. 1943. Phoridae. In: Lindner E (ed.), Die Fliegen der palaearktischen Region 4 (33)
(Lieferung 147, 149): 129-192.

SHORT COMMUNICATION

The possible introduction to Madeira of the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus
(L.) (Lepidoptera).—I was interested to read the paper by Salmon & Wakeham-
Dawson (1999) on Wollaston and the Madeiran butterfly fauna. This prompted me
to ask the authors if they were aware of a suggestion that the Monarch, Danaus
plexippus (L.) might owe its presence on Madeira to a deliberate introduction some
20-30 years ago. They were unaware of this possibility. The facts surrounding the
claim are as follows.

Bill and Margaret Beer were a couple of wildlife enthusiasts who, until the 1980s
lived at Marlow Bottom, Bucks. They were members of the (now defunct) Middle-
Thames Natural History Society and of the Amateur Entomologists’ Society. They
bred, amongst other things, Monarch butterflies and as they did not like killing any
insects, sightings in the area from around 1960-80 may well have been releases.

On one occasion when I visited them I was interested to see Milkweed (Asclepias
sp.) growing out of cracks in the paving of the patio and flourishing. It was there, Bill
explained, as foodplant for the Monarchs and he went on to say during the
conversation that he had introduced them to Madeira. I wondered at the time
whether this was a good thing but made no comment; I do not think he would have
understood my doubts. Later I passed on this information to Denis Owen, an old
school friend, who at that time was particularly interested in the butterflies of the
Canaries and Madeira.

To ensure that my memory had not failed me I felt it was necessary to confirm
these facts with others and have now done so with more or less positive results.
Those consulted were all members of the MTNHS and bear out the facts so far. One
of these, Victor Scott, a local naturalist, added that Bill certainly claimed to have
introduced the butterflies to Andalusia ‘‘about 30 years ago”’.

A letter from Ron Youngman can be quoted (in part)—“‘They were a quite
remarkable couple and always had something on the go. . . . I certainly remember
them talking about their attempts to introduce Monarchs in various places and |
remember them saying they had sown Milkweed seeds in southern Spain and on at
least one island. I don’t recall that it was Madeira. . . . I can certainly say they
attempted their introductions before 1981 and almost certainly in the late 1960’s or
early 1970’s’’. This too is my recollection of the date and seems likely, since Martin
Albertini has established from old AES membership lists that Bill Beer died between
1983 and 1987.

As there would be no point in attempting an introduction to the Canaries, since
the butterfly first appeared there in 1880 (Higgins & Riley, 1970), it is suggested that

44 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Madeira must have been the island involved. The Monarch was certainly present on
Madeira in 1984 when I visited and larvae were found in Funchal feeding on
Asclepias curassavica rather than on native species of this family (Owen & Smith,
1989). Michael Salmon (pers. comm.) comments that Owen, Shreeve & Smith (1987)
stated that ““These might be the first definite breeding records of the Monarch from
Madeira’. If so, it is just possible that the Beer introduction was successful.
However, the most obvious possibility is that the original butterflies migrated from
one or other of the Canary Islands. Owen, Shreeve & Smith (1986) suggest that this
was the case, as with Pararge aegeria and Pieris rapae. The Canaries are also the
most likely source of the original stock for an attempted introduction. DNA analysis
might show whether the Madeiran butterflies originated from there but even
confirmation of this cannot show how they arrived. We will probably never know.

This however, is not quite the end of the story because these investigations led me
to contact Dr Peter Edwards. He recorded finding a small colony of D. plexippus in
Spain in 1984 (Edwards, 1984). Three years later he returned to the same area, near
Nerja, which perhaps significantly, is in Andalusia. The butterflies were still there
(Edwards, 1988) and with two companions he searched for and found Asclepias
curassavica. It was “‘widely distributed ... but nowhere common” and almost every
plant had ova or larvae of D. plexippus. However, when he returned in 1991 there
were no butterflies or larvae to be found. He recalls too, that he heard a story told of
an “‘eccentric Englishman” who had planted Milkweed and introduced Monarchs,
though this could not be verified (pers. comm.).

The parallels in timing of the observations in Madeira and Spain are interesting
and certainly in Spain seem to suggest that the butterfly became established over a
small area for a short time but failed to consolidate its hold, pointing to a failed
introduction either by migration or the hand of man. Perhaps things started in
Madeira in the same way but ended differently. Furthermore, in conclusion it 1s
worth pointing out that Professor Joachin Baixeras of the University of Valencia
states (pers. com.) that ““D. plexippus has never been considered as a resident in our
(Spanish) fauna”’.

My thanks are due to Dr Michael Salmon to whom my initial enquiry was made
and who has helped in various ways with comments and suggestions since then. Also
to all those others mentioned in the text and other members of the old Middle-
Thames Natural History Society from whom I sought information—ALAN
SHOWLER, 12 Wedgwood Drive, Hughenden Valley, High Wycombe, Bucks.,
HP14 4PA

REFERENCES

Edwards, P. J. 1984. Monarch Resident in Spain (Danaus plexippus (L.)). Proceedings &
Transactions of the British Entomological & Natural History Society 17: 84.

Edwards, P. J. 1988. Monarchs Resident in Spain. Br. J. Ent. Nat. Hist. 1: 59-60.

Higgins, L. G. and Riley, N. D. 1970. A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Europe.
Collins, London.

Owen, D. F., Shreeve, T. G. and Smith, A. G. 1986. Colonisation of Madeira by the Speckled
Wood butterfly, Pararge aegeria and its impact on the endemic Pararge xiphia. Ecological
Entomology 11: 349-352.

Owen, D. F., Shreeve, T. G. and Smith, A. G. 1987. Butterflies on Madeira in April 1985.
Entomologist’s Record & Journal of Variation, 99 29-32.

Owen, D. F. and Smith, A. G. 1989. Utilization of alien Asclepiadaceae as larval foodplants by
Danaus plexippus (L.) on the Atlantic Islands. Entomologist 108: 158-164.

Salmon, M. A. & Wakeham-Dawson, A. 1999. Thomas Vernon Wollaston and the Madeiran
butterfly fauna—a re-appraisal. Br. J. Ent. Nat. Hist. 12: 69-88.

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 45

SAND DART AGROTIS RIPAE HB (LEP.: NOCTUIDAE)
IN GLAMORGAN—A STRANDLINE SPECIALIST

BARRY STEWART

36 Pencaecrwn Road, Gorseinon, Swansea SA4 4FU. Barry@moonmoths.demon.co.uk

Abstract. Larval searches for Agrotis ripae Hb were carried out on most beaches of
West Glamorgan during the autumn of 1999. The results indicated that, although the
species was widespread, there were substantial stretches of beach that were not
populated. There appeared to be a strong relationship between actively accreting
beaches, which supported characteristic strandline flora and fauna, and the presence
of sand dart larvae. Local threats to strandline ecosystems are discussed.

INTRODUCTION

Glamorgan is blessed with some of the UK’s finest beaches, most of which are
backed by extensive dune systems of international importance. Strandlines mark the
mobile boundary between dunes and intertidal sands and are characterised by
accumulations of seaweed and other organic matter that have been deposited high up
the shore by spring tides. This material provides the nutrients upon which a number
of specialist plant species thrive, notably prickly saltwort (Salsola kali), sea rocket
(Cakile maritima) and species of Atriplex. These in turn provide food and a habitat
for one of Glamorgan’s most specialised moths, the sand dart (Agrotis ripae). The
sand dart is classified by Waring (1999) as a Notable/Nb species due to its restricted
distribution. It is strictly coastal, occurring only on sand dunes and occurs as far
north as Aberdeen. In Glamorgan, the species was first noted at Neath in 1866
(Llewellyn, 1866). Hallet (1917) then listed records for Port Talbot, Penarth and
Porthcawl prior to 1917 and Rothamsted surveys carried out during the late 1970s at
Oxwich and Whiteford also produced records of the species (Hughes, M.R..,
unpublished data). Thus it is evident that the species has long been established and 1s
probably to be found on most of the county’s dune systems.

Tutt (1994) stated that “beneath the plants of Atriplex littoralis and Salsola kali the
larvae of Agrotis ripae may he obtained in large numbers . . . They are best obtained
from the middle to the end of August, when they are nearly full-grown, and can
generally be found simply by passing the fingers through the sand”’. Fig. 1 shows a full-
grown larva obtained by this method. This useful advice enabled the author to
conduct a survey of most of the beaches within West Glamorgan during a relatively
short period of time in autumn 1999, brief details of which are described below.

A total length of approximately 21 km of dune/beach interface was examined with
each stretch being categorised as accreting, stable dune cliff or eroding. Where
beaches were found to be eroding, there was no strandline flora, those that were
stable occasionally supported populations of the known foodplants, and those that
were accreting always supported some foodplant species. These were then sampled as
described by Tutt (1994) and larval presence/absence was noted. As one of the main
objectives of the survey was to record the current distribution of the species, the [km
squares of the National Grid were used as sampling units. Fig. 2 shows the results of
the survey, with larval records being represented by square symbols. All other
records predate the survey and are of adult moths, which are shown as circles. Those
recorded before 1980 are depicted as open circles. Figure 2 also shows those beaches
that were sampled and the erosional/depositional state of each is indicated. Larval
distribution was found to be closely associated with actively accreting beaches.

46 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Figure 2. Distribution of sand dart on the Gower Peninsula (square symbols = larvae, round
symbols=adults, open circles=pre 1980) and beaches covered by survey (grey =stable dune
cliff or eroding dune, black = actively accreting dune).

There has been much concern in recent years over the effects that beach-cleaning
operations have on the native flora and fauna of the strandline, and also how such
operations may be affecting natural processes. Some evidence suggests that the
removal of organic debris prevents the natural development of embryo dunes which
provide a natural defence to winter storms. Furthermore, in addition to supporting
unique communities of plants and animals, they also form the first stage in dune
succession and prevent over-stabilisation, a common problem in many areas.

The sand dart could be described as literally living on the edge of the terrestrial
environment and is well adapted to great environmental stress. However, the
mandatory standard of the Bathing Directive 76/160/EC, and the prestige of gaining
a “Blue Flag Seaside Award’, is resulting in an increase in the number of local
authorities undertaking mechanical beach-cleaning operations. This may be one of
the greatest threats to date for the sand dart and other co-inhabitants of the
strandline, but there is optimism.

Following a period of extensive mechanical beach-cleaning operations within
Swansea Bay (SSSI), which resulted in the virtual extinction of many strandline
invertebrates (Llewellyn, 1996), these operations were replaced by hand-cleaning

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 47

methods during 1999. This enabled small populations of sea rocket and prickly
saltwort to colonise areas where residual algal deposits were left undisturbed. The
result was that sand dart larvae recolonised almost immediately and were found to be
abundant, even in areas where only a few plants had colonised the strandline.

However, such rapid recolonisation is only likely to occur where there are extant
populations close by, in this case the population at Crymlyn Burrows undoubtedly
facilitated rapid recolonisation. This example does demonstrate that with
sympathetic management, it is possible for local authorities (and other land-
managers) to accommodate both human interests and those of the strandline fauna
without compromising health and safety, tourism and other key issues. Sensitive
areas elsewhere in the UK should be identified and damaging activities minimised if
sustainable populations of the sand dart and other scarce species are to remain
features of our beaches.

REFERENCES

Hallet, H. M. 1917. The Lepidoptera of Glamorgan, Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalists
Society, 50: 55.

Llewellyn, P. J. & Shackley, S. E. 1996. The effects of mechanical beach-cleaning on
invertebrate populations, British Wildlife, 7: 147—15S.

Llewellyn, J. T. D. 1866. Captures of Lepidoptera in South Wales, Entomologists Monthly
Magazine, 3: 263.

Tutt, J. W. 1994. Practical Hints for the Field Lepidopterist, A Facsimile Reprint, The Amateur
Entomologist, 23.

Waring, P. 1999. National Moth Conservation Project, News Bulletin 10, April 1998—March
1999, Butterfly Conservation.

SHORT COMMUNICATION

More observations of dotted chestnut moths.—I recently reported finding adult
dotted chestnut moths, Conistra rubiginea D & S., in the nest of the ant Lasius
fuliginosus (Latr.) (Formicidae); see Denton (1998. An unusual encounter with
dotted chestnut moths Conistra rubiginea. British Journal of Entomology and Natural
History 10 (4): 209). I revisited the same nest on Thursley NNR, Surrey on 4.1x.1998,
and found two lepidopteran pupae next to the nest carton, c.40cm below ground
inside the base of a hollow oak. I took these home and adult C. rubiginea emerged on
the 25. .& 29.1x.

L. fuliginosus is a fairly large ant, but workers rarely bring large insects to the nest.
However, it does defend its nest against intruders, and the caterpillars must have a
way of pacifying or avoiding the workers on their way down into the nest. The adults
found within the nest in 1997 were completely ignored by the ants, which were
agitated by my presence.

Further investigation of this colony in 1999 revealed several old pupae deep in the
nest chamber but no evidence of larvae. The caterpillars of C. rubiginea are very
hairy, unlike others in the genus and it is tempting to suggest that it might be
myrmecophilous, as its range 1s within that of L. fuliginosus. Both favour woodland,
and wooded heaths. In captivity the larvae are not very fussy about their food plant,
and will eat withered leaves. Perhaps the caterpillar is somehow protected by the
ants, which offsets the need for a continual supply of fresh vegetation. It 1s surprising
that others, especially the arch ant-nest investigator Horace Donisthorpe, didn’t
come across this moth in the many nests examined across the country.—JONTY
DENTON, 2 Sandown Close, Alton, Hants GU34 2TG

48 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

BENHS INDOOR MEETINGS
8 February 2000

The President, Mr S. MILES announced the death of the lepidopterist, Mr S. H.
Church.

Dr P. WARING, Mr I. MENZIES, Mr R. KEMP and Mr S MEREDITH provided some
display cases of moths and other insects collected during BENHS expeditions to
Belize.

Mr R. SOFTLY circulated a copy of The London Biodiversity Audit, Volume 1,
which will be given to London’s Mayor when elected. The responsibilities of the
elected mayor include producing plans for London’s transport, waste disposal and
biodiversity. The Biodiversity Audit has been produced by the London Natural
History Society and it describes habitats in London and species requiring action. A
second volume is being prepared on actions that can be taken to maintain and
enhance London’s biodiversity.

The following persons have been approved as members: Mr A. O. Beaumont, Mr E.
J. Cooper, Mrs E. L. Forbes-Dale, Mrs Y. C. Golding, Mr S. M. Hewitt, Mr J.
Hollingdale, Mr D. E. Marriott, Dr R. M. Smith, Mr R. G. Smith, Mr B. Stewart and
Mrs A.H. Tait. The Tullie House Museum, Carlisle, has become a Corporate Member.

Dr I. MCLEAN read a communication passed to him by Mr A. E. Stubbs. This stated
that on 19.1.00 Mr Stubbs had seen three queen bumblebees, Bombus pratorum (L.)
visiting the flowers of winter-flowering honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, in his
garden in Peterborough, Cambs. At the time there was a chilly NE wind with low sun at
12.35 pm; the shade temperature was 6 °C. At least one bee remained active 20 minutes
after the sun had clouded over. Subsequently the bees have been seen regularly,
especially when sunny. On 21.1.00, two hibernating hoverflies, Episyrphus balteatus
(Degeer) and Eristalis tenax (L.), were also seen in his garden during warm weather.

Mr A. J. HALSTEAD reported that the leaf-mining fly, Phytomyza hellebori
Kaltenbach, reported by Mr Stubbs at the previous meeting as new to Britain, was
also present at Royston, Herts. (VC29, Cambs.) and at the RHS Garden, Wisley,
Surrey. At both sites the mines were in the foliage of Helleborus foetidus and no
mines have been found in other types of Helleborus growing at Wisley.

Mr R. SOFTLY said that at a recent London Natural History Society meeting
several members had reported early frog activity with one garden pool already
having frog spawn. Dr P. Waring had noted active frogs in Peterborough on 5.11.00,
with one pair in amplexus, but no spawn as yet.

Mr R. D. HAWKINS said that Dr P. Costen had informed him that he had had at
his light trap in St Peters, Guernsey, a silver Y moth, Autographa gamma (L.) on the
morning of New Year’s Day and a light arches, Apamea lithoxylaea (D. & S.) on the
following night.

Dr P. WARING, Mr R. Kemp, Mr S. MEREDITH, Mr I. MENZIES, Mr N. HALL
gave a joint presentation on the BENHS expeditions to Belize that took place in
January-February 1996, May 1997 and December 1998. Field meetings are an
important activity of the BENHS and in his role as the Society’s Field Meetings
Secretary Dr Waring has sought to extend the geographical spread of meetings to
cover all of Britain. In his Presidential Year in 1995 he proposed an expedition to
Belize, formerly British Honduras, in Central America. Belize was chosen as it is
politically stable, has a pro-conservation stance and it was logistically feasible to
organise an expedition. Belize is on the east coast of Central America, between

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 49

Mexico and Guatemala, and it is about the size of Wales. It has an insect fauna
which is a mixture of North, South and Central American species.

The aims of the expeditions were as follows: 1. To study the butterflies, moths and
other insects, with the specific aims of compiling systematic lists for conservation
sites and to investigate species associated with different types of habitat and
management systems. 2. To raise the profile of insects and their conservation in
Belize. 3. To provide BENHS members with experience of neotropical insects. 4. To
develop links between the BENHS and conservationists in Belize.

No expedition is planned for 2000. The current need is to work through the
material already collected and to publish the results. Sets of photographs of named
set specimens have been prepared for the benefit of local entomologists and site
managers in Belize.

Mr R. KEmpP showed a video, mainly taken during the 1998 expedition. This
showed the habitats visited and examples of some of the butterflies and moths seen
during the day or attracted to light. Mr S. Meredith described some of the butterflies
that had been recorded. Mr I. Menzies gave an account of the other orders, including
the Coleoptera, which is his particular interest. Relatively few beetles were seen by
day and most of his collecting was done at light. He had collected about 60 species of
which he had so far named about one-third. Hemiptera and Orthoptera were present
in large numbers with many species. Mr N. Hall spoke on his experiences of light
trapping moths in Belize. He noted that the number of moths coming to light fell
rapidly as the moonlight increased in intensity. A light shower of rain, however,
would stimulate the flight activity of moths and boost the numbers taken at light.

14 March 2000

The President, Mr S. MILES announced the death of the lepidopterist and past
President of the Society, Mr B. R. Baker.

Mr A. E. STUBBS showed some dipterous larvae found in molehills in grassland by
the River Nene at Stanground, Peterborough, Cambs. on 13 March. These were two
crane-fly larvae or leatherjackets, Tipula vernalis Mg. and T. paludosa Mg., and a
snipe-fly larva, Rhagio tringarius (L.). The latter is an active predatory larva which
rapidly subdues its prey with venom. The tipulid larvae have distinctive six-lobed
spiracular discs on their rear ends while R. tringarius has a four-lobed disc.

Mr R. A. JONES showed a specimen of the chloropid fly, Camarota curvipennis
(Latr.), swept from a relic area of old chalk downland at Saltbox Hill SSSI, Biggin
Hill, Kent (TQ409605) on 13.x.99. It develops in the heads of wheat, rye and barley
and was once considered a minor pest but it has become less common in recent years.
This tiny fly is easily recognisable because of the unusual form of the antenna, which
bears a large, hirsute, blade-like arista.

Dr D. HACKETT showed a specimen of the uncommon tephritid fly, Chetostoma
curvinerve Rondani. This was taken in his garden in London N§8 on 9.111.00. This is
the first record for Middlesex; most records have been from Surrey and Sussex.

Mr A. J. HALSTEAD showed a nest box for solitary bees he had constructed from
recycled materials. The outer box was made from pallet wood and contained 144
cardboard tubes of approximately 10mm internal diameter and 90mm depth. These
tubes were taken from a large display firework of the roman candle type (a “Sky
Monkey With Exploding Coconuts’’) which was let off at New Year’s Eve. This
should provide a home for some of the larger tunnel-nesting bees such as Osmia rufa
(L.) and Megachile spp. Other members with access to the organisers of 5 November
displays might like to put in a bid for the leftovers to make similar nest boxes.

50 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

The following persons have been approved as members: Dr Christopher Betts, Mr
John F. Harper, Mr Adrian T. Hine, Mr John Kramer, Mr Allan G. Lawson, Mr Paul
Talbot, Mr Maurice Waterhouse, Mrs Imogen S. H. Wilde and Mr David B. Scott.

Mr S. MILES reported that the early spring bees Anthophora pilipes (F.) and
Andrena bicolor F. were active in his garden at Ashford, Middx.

Dr J. MUGGLETON reported a comma butterfly in his light trap at Staines, Middx.
during the previous week.

Dr D. HACKETT noted that the hoverflies Eristalis tenax (L.), Episyrphus balteatus
(Degeer) and Meliscaeva auricollis (Mg.) were active in his garden.

The Ordinary Meeting was then followed by the Annual General Meeting and the
Presidential Address, after which the new President, Eric Philp, thanked his
predecessor and closed the meeting.

11 April 2000

The President, Mr E. PHILP, announced the death of a former member, Mr G.
Harris.

Mr A. J. HALSTEAD showed a piece of old bone found on the bank of the River
Wey at RHS Garden, Wisley, Surrey. The bone had been extensively gnawed,
probably by grey squirrels judging by the size of the teeth marks. Mr M. J.
BLECKWEN thought the bone exhibited might be part of the ulna of a horse.

Mr A. S. STUBBS read a statement on behalf of the Joint Committee for
Conservation of British Invertebrates (JCCBI) executive which had_ been
considering The Countryside and Rights of Way Bill. A Green Paper was
published on 3.111.2000 and is currently at the committee stage. This legislation,
which embodies the government’s “Right to Roam” policy, will affect approxi-
mately 1150 square kilometres of land and could have profound effects for the
study and recording of invertebrates. Taken literally, schedule 2 could prevent the
taking of any specimens or the carrying of collecting equipment on land covered by
the legislation. The JCCBI executive is drawing its concerns to the attention of
other organisations with an interest in biological recording. It is also contacting the
chairman of the national wildlife agencies to point out the difficulties that could
arise from the proposed legislation. The Department of Environment, Transport
and Regions is also being approached with a request that guidelines be issued to
make clear that schedule 2 is not intended to unreasonably obstruct biological
recording that may require the collection of voucher specimens for identification
purposes.

Mr Stubbs also reported that work towards establishing an Invertebrate
Conservation Trust was progressing. It will soon be necessary to appoint trustees
and form a committee. Anyone interested should contact Mr Stubbs.

Dr J. MUGGLETON read an email received from Mr R. A. Jones. He had seen a
humming bird hawkmoth examining the sun-lit wall of his house at East Dulwich,
London, SE22 on 1.iv.00. He also saw a speckled wood butterfly in his garden on
2.iv.00. Mr Jones referred to the chloropid fly, Camarota curvipennis, he had shown
at the 14.11.00 meeting. He had since identified another specimen taken on 7.v1.99 at
Hutchinson’s Bank, Surrey (TQ382616). Although only a few kilometres from the
other site at Saltbox Hill, it is in another vice-county.

Mr MARK PARSONS spoke on the action for threatened moths in the UK project.
A full report of this project and opportunities for participation by BENHS members
has been published in the Society’s Journal (volume 13, part 1, pp. 57-66).

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 51
9 May 2000

The President, Mr E. PHILP, announced the death of the lepidopterist, Mr H. G.
Short.

Mr E. PHILP showed a live male specimen of the psychid moth, Epichnopterix
plumella (D. & S.) which had been taken in flight at Sandwich, Kent.

Dr M. TELFER showed some live beetles collected from Monks Wood NNR,
Cambs. These were two Diaperis boleti (L.) (Col: Tenebrionidae), tapped out of
Piptoporus betuleti bracket fungus on a silver birch on 9.v.00, and Grammoptera
ruficornis var. holomelina Pool (Col: Cerambycidae) from hawthorn blossom on
8.v.00.

The following persons have been approved as members by Council: Dr Rebecca A.
Barrett, Mr M. P. Gilbert, Mr Malcolm Jennings, Mr Mark Read, Dr Adrian
Wander and Mr Duncan Williams.

Dr J. MUGGLETON announced that the recent Council meeting had considered the
Society’s subscription rates. The current rates are not covering the costs of running
the Society and so from | January 2001 the rates will be £15 for ordinary members,
£5 for junior members and £300 for life members.

Mr G. MAXWELL had noted the pyralid moth, Pyrausta aurata (Scop.) on the
wing at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey.

Dr MARK TELFER spoke on developing the activities of the Biological Records
Centre with the National Recording Schemes. BRC was established in 1964 and is
based at Monks Wood, Cambs. It collates and computerises biological records in
order to compile national distribution atlases. It currently has over 11 million records
of over ten thousand plants and animals. Many of these records have been provided
by amateur recorders and there has been a big increase in recording during the 1990s.
BRC currently manages 66 recording schemes.

The traditional role of BRC has concerned data entry and validation, with the
data being stored in secure electronic and paper archives. BRC also disseminates
information through the production of atlases, newsletters and by responding to
specific requests for data. The organisers of recording schemes are typically
responsible for collecting and collating records, providing taxonomic and ecological
expertise, communication with scheme members, and writing the text for atlases.
Increasingly, schemes are taking on the role of computerising records and managing
their own databases.

In 1995 National Biodiversity Network was established. This aims to link the
various organisations and individuals involved in biological recording and _ to
promote standardised methods of recording and storing data. Pilot studies with
dragonflies, carabid beetles and bryophytes are underway to produce interactive
distribution maps that can be accessed through the world-wide web. Information on
NBN projects can be obtained from www.nbn.org.uk

Dr Telfer described how the role of the BRC is likely to develop. There are currently
56 invertebrate recording schemes, of which 46 cover insects. He wondered if there were
too many separate schemes. There are economies of scale that can be achieved by
bringing schemes together, where tasks can be shared and duplication of effort avoided.
Progress in this direction has been made by the Dipterists’ Forum and the Bees, Wasps
and Ants Recording Society (BWARS). The myriapod and woodlice schemes are also
coming together. There could be scope for recording schemes that are based on
habitats, such as aquatic insects, or on recording methods, such as light trapping.

As an example of a successful and highly self-sufficient recording scheme, Dr
Telfer referred to the Dragonfly Recording Network. This began as the BRC

52 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Odonata Recording Scheme and spawned the British Dragonfly Society about 20
years ago. An atlas was produced in 1996 and the Society now has about 1500
members. It produces a regular newsletter and spreads the workload of collating
records by having a regionalised recording network. It manages its own database and
has customised recording software that is compatible with Recorder 2000, allowing
the DRN to produce its own maps and analyses of data. They are now the prime
source of information on dragonflies and their conservation in Britain. The database
allows them to monitor changes in dragonfly populations and supply data for
research, conservation and education.

BRC will continue to evaluate, support and strengthen recording schemes, to
enable them to contribute efficiently to studying and conserving invertebrates. An
application for funds is currently with the Heritage Lottery Fund. If successful,
individual recording schemes will be able to apply to HLF for this funding.

13 June 2000

Mr R. A. JONES showed a specimen of Otiorhynchus setosulus Stierlin (Coleoptera:
Curculionidae) beaten from a small cherry tree at Elm Park (TQ526858), South
Essex (VC18) on 5.vu.99. It is a member of the subgenus Arammichnus, characterised
by the strongly broadened and rounded apices to the front tibiae. There are two very
local native members of the subgenus, O. atroapterus (Degeer) and O. ligustici (L.),
but O. setosulus is a Sicilian endemic species. This is apparently the third British
specimen, both others having been taken in West Kent during the 1990s.

Mr E. PHILP showed two RDB3 ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) taken at
the BENHS field meeting at Shorne Marshes, Kent on 3.v1.00. These were Amara
strenua Zimm. and Anisodactylus poeciloides (Steph.). Both are very local salt-marsh
species with most recent records being from the Thames Estuary.

Mr A. STUBBS showed some insects recorded during the BENHS field meeting at
Redgrave and Lopham Fen on the Suffolk/Norfolk border on 10.v.00. These were:
(a) a male Crabro scutellatus (Scheven) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). This solitary
wasp has characteristic enlarged male fore tibiae. (b) A notable sciomyzid fly,
Colobaea bifasciella (Fall.), taken by sweeping short sparse herbage at the Fen. (c) A
soldier fly, Oxycera rara (Scop.). (d) A live larvae of a therevid fly, possibly Thereva
nobilitata (F.). These predatory larvae live in sandy soils and detect prey walking
over the surface. This is seized from below, injected with a highly toxic poison and
dragged into the soil.

Mr S. MILES made available for inspection a copy of a pamphlet on biodiversity
produced by The Wildlife Trusts, entitled ““Beauty of the mini-beasts”’.

Dr J. MUGGLETON reported taking a large yellow underwing moth, Noctua
pronuba L. at light in his garden at Staines, Middlesex on the very early date of
12.v.00.

Mr R. A. JONES reported an early sighting of the stag bettle, Lucanus cervus (L.) at
Dulwich on 25.v.00. Mr Miles had also seen one at Ashford, Middx.

Dr TIM SPARKS spoke on “The changing phenology of the UK—1is spring getting
earlier?’ The simple answer to the question is yes and this is supported by a number
of long-term studies of plant and animal activities. These have been made by a
variety of individuals, either acting alone or contributing to larger schemes, such as
county bird reports. Other long-term recording schemes have been organised by
professional bodies such as Rothamsted Experimental Station, with its aphid and
moth surveys, and the Royal Meteorological Society. Britain has a long record of
nature recording and the most remarkable example is the Marsham family who made

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 53

annual records on the family estate in Norfolk between 1758 and 1958. Robert
Marsham began the sequence by selecting 27 indications of spring, such as leafing
and/or flowering dates of plants. Of the 27 indicators chosen, hawthorn leafing seems
to be the most responsive to temperature change.

Other organisations and individuals have made records for shorter periods. The
Royal Meteorological Society produced an annual publication called The
Phenological Report between 1875-1947. This compiled the records of up to 600
recorders who noted the first date for various plant and animal events. Jean Combes
of Ashtead has recorded the leafing dates for ash, horse chestnut, lime and oak
between 1947-1999. Her records show that oak is now leafing in early April instead
of late April when she started recording. Mary Manning has recorded flowering
dates of woodland garden plants near Norwich between 1965 and the present time.
Winter aconite is now flowering about one month earlier.

The UK Phenological Network was re-established in 1998 to encourage more
recording. A list of easily recorded spring events has been drawn up, some of which
are the same as those recorded in older surveys. An autumn scheme is also being
drawn up.

The speaker would be pleased to hear from anyone who has phenological records
of a current or historical nature. Further information about the UK Phenological
Network can be obtained from the internet at www.nmw.ac.uk/ite/phenology

BENHS FIELD MEETINGS
West Walk, Hampshire, 6 June 1998

A BENHS Conservation Working Group meeting

Leader: Stephen Miles.—The Forest of Bere (Forest Enterprise), Hampshire
comprises deciduous woodland and coniferous plantation with stream-side vegeta-
tion. The main objective was to facilitate further recording on this site, which at one
time was regarded as potentially quite an interesting area. It appears to have been
little visited by entomologists recently. The visit followed from a request I sent to
Roger Key of English Nature in 1997 seeking a list of sites from which further
information was desired, my intention being to give my BENHS field meeting site
visits a more definite purpose.

The day meeting commenced at Il a.m. at the public car park at SU596122. As
well as the leader, there were two other members and one non-member, Ruud
Schilder from Holland, who was a student of African hawkmoths at the Natural
History Museum at Kensington. In reasonably bright weather with sunny periods
good numbers of species were obtained, although no very significant ones were
reported by either Andrew Halstead or Peter Chandler. The most exciting event was
the observation of the cranefly Tanyptera nigricornis (Meigen) by Peter on a fallen
tree; however he failed to secure it in the net! Ruud found the carabid beetle Cychrus
caraboides (L.) under a dead log in the larch plantation; this feeds on snails by
popping its narrowed head and thorax into the snail’s flesh at the opening of its shell.

A Brachyopa sp. fly was seen hovering beside a medium-size beech tree where it
had had branches sawn off to allow horses to pass on the adjacent path; this was yet
another specimen that “‘got away”. The common fly Tachypeza nubila (Meigen) was
also seen on the bark. Peter Chandler identified the sciomyzid fly Trypetoptera
punctulata (Scopoli) nearby, and beside a log pile a female of the local woodland
hoverfly Volucella inflata (Fab.) landed on him. V. bombylans (L.) was also present,

54 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

as were Other typical deciduous woodland flies such as Ferdinandea cuprea (Scopoli)
and Chalcosyrphus nemorum (Fab.). A single Rhagium mordax (Degeer) (Col:
Cerambycidae) was also seen on Rubus leaves.

Peter Chandler provided a list of 77 other flies including 22 mycetophilids;
however he remarked that none were significant! Andrew Halstead provided a
similar but multi-order list which included 29 sawfly species recorded as adults and
the following four species from larval evidence: Blennocampa pusilla (Klug) leaf rolls
on Rosa sp., Phymatocera aterrima (Klug) on solomon’s seal Polygonatum
multiflorum (L.), Nematus pavidus Lep., subsequently reared out from a larva in
Salix sp., and similarly N. /ucidus (Panzer) bred from a larva on hawthorn.

Finally, a good specimen of the stinkhorn fungus Phallus impudicus (L.) was seen
growing appropriately, adjacent to the men’s toilets in the car park!

The evening meeting appeared initially to be threatened by rain, as having kept off
all day a shower commenced just as members started arriving. However, once we
were in position behind the locked gates, it remained dry with only occasional
glimpses of the moon. The MV, actinic and other traps employed by the three
members and one non-member soon revealed some of the woodland speciality moths
for which this wood was well known in the days when “‘A Survey of the Insects of
The Forest of Bere’ was produced by David Appleton, Richard Dickson and George
Else, covering historic records on this site up to those recorded in the 1970s. In total,
four of the beautiful scarce merveille du jour Moma alpium (Osb.) moths were taken
at light. Other significant species of the at least forty-eight taken included the little
thorn Cepphis advenaria (Hitibn.), orange footman Ei/ema sororcula (Hufn.) and the
rosy marbled Elaphria venustula (Hiibn.). This last species, presumed to be a recent
colonist, has occurred at this site since the 1970s.

I am indebted to John Phillips for providing me with his list of the moth species
taken. It is regrettable to record that of the two other individuals running lights, no
records of what they took were received by the leader. I hope this is not a trend that
will disadvantage all leaders of field meetings in future when writing their reports for
this journal. Thanks are also due to the authorities at the Forestry Commission at
Alice Holt, Hampshire for giving permission for the meeting to take place.

New Forest, Hampshire, 22 August 1998

Leader: David Green.—The now traditional August field meeting in the New
Forest was well attended, with members and guests coming from as far afield as
Queensland, Western Australia. Although the primary objective of the meeting was
to search for the two crimson underwing moths Catocala sponsa (L.) and C. promissa
(D. & S.), the meeting was also supported by several dipterists and coleopterists. This
was a joint meeting between the BENHS and Butterfly Conservation.

During the afternoon, the party explored one of the night’s selected trapping areas
at Whitley Wood (SU2905). It is encouraging to see how much dead timber has been
left in this part of the Forest and particularly the number of standing dead trees.
Several notable species of Coleoptera and Diptera were located although very few
Lepidoptera were found during this part of the meeting, either as adults or as larvae.
The only butterflies seen were a few speckled wood Pararge aegeria (L.), meadow
brown Maniola jurtina (L.) and holly blue Celastrina argiolus britanna (Verity).
Larvae included mottled beauty A/cis repandata (L.) beaten from oak Quercus robur
L. and common wave Cabera exanthemata (Scopoli) from sallow Salix caprea L.

The most noteworthy discovery of the afternoon was a single female specimen of
the cranefly Ctenophora ornata Meigen found by Elizabeth Trasenster and

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 55

determined by John Chainey and Alan Stubbs. The species (Fig. 1) is a large and
spectacular hornet mimic and is classified UK RDB | (Endangered). According to
Falk (1991) (Falk. S. 1991. S. A Review of the scarce and threatened flies of Great
Britain, Part 1. NCC, Peterborough), C. ornata has only been recorded from five
post-1960 sites, three of them in the New Forest. There have subsequently been at
least two additional New Forest records from the Brockenhurst area during the
1990s. Whitley Wood appears to be a new locality. The species is restricted to ancient
broad-leaved woodland and has been reared from wet ‘porridge’ wood mould in a
beech Fagus sylvatica L.. Old trees and stumps of particularly large girth are
considered to be probably essential for this species. Adults have been recorded from
June to August and have been taken at moth traps at night and in the vicinity of old,
living oaks Quercus spp.

Further members and guests arrived for the evening part of the meeting. Some
elected to work the well known areas around Whitley Wood whilst others chose
relatively less well worked sites elsewhere. It proved possible to cover four widely
spaced localities: Whitley Wood, Gritnam Wood (SU2806), Mark Ash Wood
(SU2407) and Anses Wood (SU2212). Anses Wood, in particular, is in a hitherto
very under-recorded part of the Forest.

As so often in 1998, weather conditions were not particularly favourable for night
work with clear skies and rapidly falling temperatures. Two dark crimson underwing
Catocala sponsa and two light crimson underwing C. promissa came to sugared tree
trunks at Whitley Wood but none were located at any of the other trapping areas.
Most members reported disappointingly low numbers of moths although the meeting
did provide a useful opportunity to gather records which can be used in the
compilation of the forthcoming New Forest Special Area for Conservation (SAC)
Management Plan presently under preparation. All records have been forwarded to
Forest Enterprise and to Barry Goater, the County moth recorder.

Forty-nine species of macro moth were recorded. Most were common species
associated with deciduous woodland, although a trap situated on the very edge of

Figure 1. The cranefly Ctenophora ornata, photo. P. Waring.

56 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Anses Wood additionally attracted a range of characteristic heathland species. The
only moths of note other than the two underwings were a single vestal Rhodometra
sacraria (L.) at Anses Wood and a mocha Cyclophora annulata (Schulze) at Whitley
Wood. The vestal was of the strongly marked form with a bright pink stripe on the
forewings. This may be an indication of local breeding.

Unexpected visitors to light traps in Anses Wood were three further specimens of
Crenophora ornata. These were all males and were determined by John Chainey. This
is another area with an important resource of standing dead timber and this
discovery results in a second new locality for this species.

I would express my gratitude to all those who supported this field meeting. I would
particularly like to thank Paul Waring for invaluable advice and assistance on the
day. I would also like to thank English Nature and the Forestry Commission for
permission to hold this meeting. The Forestry Commission are keen to encourage as
much recording of insect orders in the New Forest as possible. Permits for the
collecting of Lepidoptera can be obtained from David Green at Butterfly
Conservation, Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QP and for
the collecting of other orders from the Forestry Commission, Queen’s House,
Lyndhurst, Hampshire, SO43 7AB.

Slapton Ley, Devon, 11 September 1999

Leader: Roy McCormick.—The weather looked quite promising as two members of
Devon Moth Group and I started out for the meeting place at Slapton Ley Field
Study Centre. As we approached the area it started to drizzle and by the time we had
arrived at around 19.20 this was more persistent. Two other Members of DMG were
already at the meeting place with a third arriving shortly afterwards; we decided to
hold on until 19.45 in case anybody else turned up and discussed our options about
what we were going to do. We moved on to the site where the lights were to be run
and met a further person who had decided to brave the night.

The drizzle had now turned to rain, albeit not very heavy but dense; the type that
gets you wet through in no time. I had seven traps on board belonging to myself and
the people who travelled with me but because of the weather, it was decided to put
out the first two that came to hand along with the first generator; lucky that most of
our equipment is standard as we had traps from one member with the generator of
another and a mixture of reels from two of us. The traps were put out and we looked
like drowned rats by the time we had finished, but the generator was started and we
were under way. The rain persisted but we did a couple of rounds of the two traps
(they were a good distance apart) and we managed to record more moths than there
were people. By around 22.00 the rain finally stopped and our tally had reached 27
species with the only thing of note being Parapoynx stratiotata (L.) (ringed china-
mark) which had been recorded from Slapton before.

It was agreed that as the night was poor, we would start packing up around 23.00
but at around 22.30 a moth was spotted sitting on the outside of the nearest trap.
This was quickly tubed and examined and at first thought was identified as [daea
degeneraria (Hib) (portland ribbon wave). But in September and a mile or two from
the type of habitat it is usually found at? The two who were waiting at the Field
Study Centre when we arrived, decided that they had had enough so we said our
good nights to them; they had had an enjoyable evening and seen moths they had not
seen before. The tubed specimen was taken home by me and confirmed as
degeneraria; it was a bit small but it matched the specimens I had in my cabinet; what

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 57

would we do without reference collections? The moth is a female and I am going to
try and breed from it; we shall see!

We finished up with 30 species including a few Tortricidae and Pyralidae, with the
best of these: one Olindia schumacherana (Fab); three Endothenia quadrimaculana
(Haw); five Parapoynx stratiotata (L.) (ringed china-mark); one /daea degeneraria
(Hiib) (portland ribbon wave); three Epirrhoe galiata (D. & S.) (galium carpet) and
one Gortyna flavago (D. & S.) (frosted orange). The temperature as we packed up
was 16°C.

Shorne Marshes & High Halstow, Kent, 3 June 2000

Leader: Eric Philp.—This two part meeting was blessed with fine sunny weather.
Six members met at the entrance to the new RSPB reserve on Shorne Marshes and
slowly worked their way towards the Thames shore, recording along the side of the
track and over the grazing marshes. Care was needed in walking over the grazing
fields as they were quite wet in places and the route out was often deeper than the
route in, so that most present experienced wet feet at times. The party returned to
base for lunch and, with pooled knowledge of the area, returned to the marshes for
the rest of the afternoon. With arachnologists in the majority it was not surprising,
and very pleasing, to have a total of 69 species of spider recorded. These included
Enoplognatha mordax (Thorell) (Notable A), Meioneta_ simplicitarsis (Simon)
(Notable A) and Zilla diodia (Walckenaer) (Notable B). Among the four species
of Odonata recorded it was nice to see a good number of the scarce emerald
damselfly, Lestes dryas Kirby (RDB 2), on the wing. Amongst the Coleoptera
recorded were Amara strenua Zimmermann (RDB 3) in quantity, Anisodactylus
poeciloides (Stephens) (RDB 3), Malachius vulneratus Abeille (RDB 3) and Bagous
tubulus Caldara & O’Brian (RDB 3).

The evening part of the meeting was at a further RSPB reserve, a few miles to the
east, at High Halstow. At the 6 p.m. start the leader found himself alone and
contented himself with collecting around a pond and along the edge of the wood. The
weevil Magdalis armigera (Fourcroy) was abundant on some dead elms and the
minute water-cricket Microvelia pygmea (Dufour) (Notable B) was found by the
pond. At the appointed ‘light-trap’ time, two stalwart members arrived and
seven MV light-traps were set up. No great rarities were found amongst the 84
species of Lepidoptera recorded, but these did include the sloe pug
Chloroclystis chloerata, the lobster moth Stauropus fagi and cream-spot tiger
Arctia villica (L.) as well as four common species of hawkmoth.

The records obtained during the day have been passed onto the RSPB to help with
their management of these reserves, which are now being run for the benefit of all
wildlife.

Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon, 9 June 2000

Leader: Roy McCormick.—A member of Devon Moth Group and I arrived at the
car park at around 20.00; one other member of DMG, who was also a member of
Butterfly Conservation Devon Branch, turned up. We waited until 21.00 before
driving to the place where we were going to run the lights; the two members assisted
me to place the four traps and the generator was started. The night was moderately
warm with a clear sky and little or no wind; the temperature stayed around 12°C
going down to 10°C by the time we left. Species started to come in but numbers were
low; a few rounds of the traps were carried out but by 23.00 it was obvious it was

58 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

going to be a poor night so we decided to set up the two traps that were to be left on
all night; these were modified “Skinner Traps’ with a special top that made them into
Robinson-like traps; these have worked very effectively in the field before with very
little getting out. By the time we had left at around 23.30 the total count of species
was only ten (10) with not one of these that could be rated as good. The following
morning at around 09.00 the DMG member, who came the night before, and I
emptied the two traps at the Racecourse; they had not long gone out as the chokes
were still warm but the only addition to the count was one Eligmodonta dromedarius
(L.) (ron prominent) and one Diarsia mendica (Fab.) (ingrailed clay). Specimens
from this Meeting were taken to be shown, alive, at the ‘Creepy Crawly show’ that
was being held that day (10.v1.2000). I had already emptied two other traps that
morning, one in my own garden at Teignmouth and the other at Holcombe; out of
all four traps I recorded only 14 species with the numbers of specimens very low; all
in all an exceedingly poor night.

Buckfastleigh, Devon, 17 June 2000

Leader: Roy McCormick.—People were already at the meeting place before I
arrived with Brian Bewsher, a Devon Moth Group and Butterfly Conservation
Devon Branch member who lived nearby. There were 7 people present for the
Meeting and I took Colin Hart’s equipment and my own to the edge of the small
wood in my Land Rover; Colin Hart ran his lights up into the wood and I placed
mine along the edge; the wood was made up of mostly sweet chestnut with other
deciduous trees mixed in. There were seven traps in all with these being set up with
the help of the people present; we started up around 22.00 and species started to
come in; again numbers were low. The night was clear and dry with a full moon; the
temperature was 14°C by the time we left. The farmer who allowed us to have the
field meeting on his land looked in to see how we were progressing. He was
astounded by the range of colour and size of the moths that were in the traps; like
many people, he had never seen moth trapping before. Later the list had increased to
over 70 species but with none of them in numbers; we finished up with 119 by the
time we left at around 02.00 with the best of these: one Cryptoblabes bistriga (Haw.);
two Discoloxia blomeri (Curt.) (blomer’s rivulet); several Angerona prunaria (L.)
(orange moth); one Parectropis similaria (Hufn.) (brindled white-spot); several
Eilema sororcula (Hufn.) (orange footman) and one Apamea sordens (Hufn.) (rustic
shoulder-knot), an uncommon species in Devon.

Spreyton, near Bow (Treedown Farm), Devon, 1 July 2000

Leader: Roy McCormick.—The meeting was being held at the home of Stella and
John Narramore. We had 12 people turn up, which included Stella and John and two
house guests, by the time we decided to walk round the farm to find out where we
were going to put our traps. P. Franghiadi, who had three traps, put his into the
orchard; my four were placed by a fairly mature pond and in a recently planted copse
of deciduous trees that included willows, aspen and alder; John took my equipment
by tractor as my site was a couple of hundred yards away. P. Butter, who had two,
put his by the track and behind one of the farm buildings. At around 22.00 the
generators were started. The night was clear and dry; although rain had been
promised, all we saw was cloud in the distance; the temperature went down to 8°C
quite early on but this recovered to 10°C by the time we were packing up. Species
started to come in, but again we suffered from low numbers and only a slow increase

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 59

in the list; by around 23.00 a couple of the people had decided they had seen enough
and said their goodnights; they had never been to an event like this and had had a
very enjoyable time. The list was creeping up to beyond 60 species and by the time we
had decided to pack up—around 01.00—(had the night been better we would have
stayed longer) the species count was approaching 100; we were ready to go home
around 02.00 and the list stood around 100 with a few micros to be identified; these
made the list 107 species with the best of these: four Euphyia biangulata (Haw.)
(cloaked carpet); one Eupithecia valerianata (Hiib.) (valerian pug); one Apeira
syringaria (L.) (lilac beauty); one Cleorodes lichenaria (Hufn.) (brussels lace); one
Cerura vinula (L.) (puss moth), a surprisingly late male in perfect condition; and one
Melanchra pisi (L.) (broom moth).

Rushy Meadows SSSI, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, 22 July 2000

Leaders: Paul Waring & Martin Townsend.—After several hot sunny days, the
weather turned overcast but remained mild and dry for the daytime session (14.30—
17.30 hrs), which was attended by Lawrence Bee (LB), Mike Fox (MF), Matthew
Smith (MS) and the co-leaders MT and PW. John Brucker, a local naturalist
involved with the site, gave us a valuable insight into the importance of the Meadows
for birds before we entered the site with all manner of beating trays, sweep nets, pond
nets and inspection trays, pooters and tubes. The evening session commenced at
20.30 hrs and went so well that we did not leave the site until 03.30 hrs, in spite of the
cool and initially blustery but dry weather. This session was attended by LB, MT,
PW, Susan Clark, Martin Corley, John Hemmings, Angus McCrae and Alec Powell.
In addition, we were joined, for dusk only, by seven local boys varying from 10-14
years old, who were playing on bicycles near the site and showed an interest in what
we were doing. We supplied them with a net and pots and they spent an hour
collecting insects for us to identify and we saw a heron together before they had to
return home.

The Rushy Meadows SSSI consists of a series of low-lying agriculturally
unimproved alluvial grasslands along the west side of the Oxford Canal by
Roundham Lock. Low intensity, traditional management as rough pasture for cattle
has produced rich meadow and fen habitats on either side of a small stream which
runs through the site. The open areas are bordered by substantial old hedgerows,
mainly of common hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and blackthorn Prunus spinosa
but also containing large crack willows Salix fragilis, field maple Acer campestre,
guelder-rose Viburnum opulus, wayfaring tree V. /antana, ash Fraxinus excelsior,
elder Sambucus niger and others. The meadows contain many flowering plants, some
of which are now uncommon locally because most of the surrounding fields have
been ploughed and fertilized or have been built on to increase local housing and
expand an industrial estate. Some of the less common plants recorded on the site
include devil’s-bit scabious Succisa pratensis, marsh valerian Valeriana dioica, early
marsh orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata and water avens Geum rivale. When the site was
first visited by PW in the mid 1970s, the open ground was dominated by three species
of rushes (Juncus spp.), hence the local name for the site, which is actually Rushy
Moors, although it is given as Rushy Meadows on the SSSI notification document.
In winter it was wet and marshy and in the spring two or three pairs of breeding snipe
(Gallinago gallinago) could be heard ‘‘drumming”’ over the site every year. The farm
manager, Mr Jefferies, used to graze six to eight head of cattle on the site for part of
every year, alternating them onto better adjacent grazing by PW’s family home at
Park Farm House at other times. In addition, he would mow one or two extensive

60 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

Figure |. Matthew Smith examining sample of freshwater fauna, photo. P. Waring.

patches in the sward in the summer in an attempt to check the growth of the rushes
and provide a better grazing of herbs and grasses. These patches were cut on an ad
hoc basis and were never a large proportion of the overall site, but added diversity
and kept some parts of the sward shorter and less rank than others. This
management regime was still in place in the mid 1980s, after which Mr Jefferies died
and the cattle-grazing ceased. Since then the sward has become increasingly tall and
rank and the snipe have stopped breeding, though they still visit during the winter. In
1999 English Nature embarked on a five-year management agreement with the site
owner and new stock-proof fences were installed. Cattle-grazing was resumed in the
spring of 2000. On this field meeting we found the meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria
in full flower and covering most of the open ground (Fig. 1). Greater willowherb
Epilobium hirsutum was also extremely plentiful while rushes were no longer the
predominant plant in the sward. The ground was dry and hard all over the site except
on the edges of the stream. We found six Dexter cattle present. They had flattened
small areas in the lee of streamside sallow bushes and in other places, which were
useful as sites for moth traps, but otherwise the cattle did not appear to have made
much of an impact on the sward so far.

The main aims of the field meeting were to update and add to the lists of
Lepidoptera and other invertebrates known from the site, most of which were
produced by PW in the early 1980s. A particular aim of the daytime session was to
see if the white-legged damselfly Platycnemis pennipes (Pallas) still occurred on the
site. This insect is locally distributed in well-vegetated slow-moving lowland streams,
rivers and canals in parts of southern England and eastern Wales. It is considered
vulnerable both to water pollution and clearance of streamside vegetation (Brooks &
Lewington, 1997). PW first discovered the white-legged damselfly on the Rushy
Meadows on 17.vii.1982 when several were seen near the stream but none by the
canal. In the summer of 1985 the stream was cleared out by the Thames Water

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 61

Figure 2. Rushy Meadows, photo. P. Waring 22 July 2000.

Authority who had offered to sow the banks with rye-grass! It had last been dredged
and shored up about seven years previously. PW made a return visit on 31.vil.1986
and saw four males of this damselfly, confirming that it had survived the dredging,
but then on 28.vii.1986 there was an instance of diesel run-off from the adjacent
industrial estate into the stream. Because of these events and the possibility of others
of a similar nature in the interim, searching for the damselfly and assessing the water
quality and vegetation along the stream were top priorities.

A major aim of the night-time session was to see if we could find a suite of moths
previously recorded from the site by PW in the 1980s, including the garden tiger
Arctia caja (L.), round-winged muslin Thumatha senex (Hbn.), blackneck Lygephila
pastinum (Treit.), gothic Naenia typica (L.) and old lady Mormo maura (L.). The
garden tiger has suffered a substantial decline in some parts of Britain during the last
twenty years. It remains abundant in many areas near the coast. On the week of the
meeting PW’s brother Silas Waring had just returned from the Isles of Scilly and the
Penzance area of Cornwall, where he had seen fully grown larvae on a frequent basis
in June 2000, usually running across roads. I (PW) have found larvae frequent north
to Lindisfarne, Northumberland, in recent years. I see adults in light-traps annually
on my travels, but usually only one or two per trap nowadays. I have found them to
be more frequent in fens such as Woodwalton Fen than in many other inland
habitats (see Waring, 1990) so I was hopeful of seeing them on the Rushy Meadows,
where I had previously trapped an adult in an actinic trap on 17.vu.1982. During a
visit with Robin Edwards on 24.v1.1984, Robin found a full-grown larva of the
garden tiger on the canal towpath near the Rushy Meadows. I considered the garden
tiger well established in the area at that time. I recorded the adult moth annually at
Park Farm House, adjacent to Rushy Meadows, when I operated a Robinson trap
there all night several times per week from 1976-1979 and from 1982-1986,
capturing as many as seven per trap-night (19.vii.1982). The maximum in my last full
trapping year there, 1986, was four in one night (25.vul.1986).

62 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

24.v1.1984 also produced a memorable evening session on the Rushy Meadows for
it was then that Robin Edwards and I discovered a population of the blackneck moth
there. Five individuals, in fresh condition, were seen on the wing at dusk.

We began the BENHS day-time session by establishing a base at the centre of the
site on the bridge over the stream, at grid reference SP 48152 14197 according to
MS’s global positioning system.

We had only been on the site for a few minutes when MT called out from a stand
of willowherb that he had netted what might be “that damselfly” and we all raced
over to see it. It proved to be a fine teneral individual with the characteristic legs of
P. pennipes. This was a great start to the day. The insect was released where found.
Later PW found and filmed a mature sky-blue male in fresh condition. Probably we
were at the start of the flight period. MS examined the contents of the stream with his
pond net and found that the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) was
frequent, including many youngsters. Several species of operculate snails and water
beetles were found, indicating that the water quality was quite good. The freshwater
shrimp Gammarus pulex (L.) and the water slater Asellus aquaticus (L.) were
abundant.

MEF investigated the ant fauna of the site and was particularly pleased to find a
nest of the jet-black ant Lasius fuliginosus in the base on an old oak tree in the hedge
between the Rushy Meadows and the canal. Winged males and females were present
and the colony was a strong one with many workers in the leaf litter and on the
trunks of the trees in the vicinity. MF commented that he does not often come across
this species. The common black ant Lasius niger was nesting on dry raised ground by
the bridge over the stream in the centre of the site, but was not seen on the rest of the
site; probably it is too damp for them. The other ant records for the day were three
species of red ants, Myrmica rubra, M. ruginodis and M. scabrinodis. All three were
equally abundant and it seemed that almost every grass tussock examined housed a
nest of one of these species or another. M. rubra was also found nesting under dead
wood at the edge of the Meadows.

LB collected a number of spider species for later identification. His sweep-net
samples also contained familiar species such as the comb-footed spider Enoplognatha
ovata (Clerck) and the garden orb-web spider Araneus diadematus Clerck.

A young kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), capable of flight but still begging food from
a parent, flew into the canopy of one of the turkey oaks by the canal, suggesting
breeding took place on the site. We walked along the canal towpath, hoping to see
a water vole Arvicola terrestris, which was a reliable occurrence on this stretch of
the canal in the 1970s. None was seen, but I did see one swimming across the canal
1km to the south on 13.viit.2000. The banks of the canal by the Rushy Meadows
are now all shored up with wooden and metal reinforcing plates and the
opportunities for water voles burrowing into the banks and having burrow
entrances leading straight into the water have been completely removed. We
watched a moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) with two half-grown chicks feeding by the
far bank of the canal.

There were few butterflies on the wing, partly due to the rather overcast
conditions. However, two or three marbled whites Melanargia galathea (L.) were
recorded in the centre of the Meadows. This is not a species I recorded in July—
August 1982, when I visited the site on a number of occasions. The other species seen
during the meeting included meadow brown Maniola jurtina (L.), gatekeeper Pyronia
tithonus (L.), speckled wood Pararge aegeria (L.), green-veined white Pieris napi (L.),
large skipper Ochlodes venata (B. & G.), small skipper Thymelicus sylvestris (Poda)
and confirmed essex skipper 7. lineola (Ochs.).

BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001 63

Two cocoons and a somewhat worn adult of the narrow-bordered five-spot burnet
Zygaena lonicerae (Sch.) were seen during the afternoon.

MT and I beat the crack willows, sallows and blackthorn for moth larvae, but the
date was between the two peaks of larval abundance on these plants and we had only
a small larva of the clouded border Lomaspilis marginata (L.) from the Salix spp. and
only penultimate instar larvae of the clouded silver Lomographa temerata (D. & S.)
from the blackthorn.

We took a break at 17.30 hrs for a meal and to collect light-trapping gear. In the
evening we set up four Robinson-pattern light-traps and one MV light on a tripod
over a sheet. The temperature at dusk was 14°C and the wind dropped to almost
nothing as the night progressed. We kept a watch out for a barn owl Tyto alba which
John Brucker had mentioned often hunted over the rough swards by the canal, but
we failed to see it. The first light-trap had only been operating a few minutes when in
flew a blackneck. I was pleased to see that this species was still on the wing. We had
noted 5 or 6 by the end of the session. That we saw several at such a late date is
probably indicative that the population remains large. We certainly saw a fair
amount of the larval foodplant tufted vetch Vicia cracca L. Moths arrived steadily
throughout the night, including species often plentiful in damp ground such as the
dingy footman Ei/ema griseola (Hbn.), drinker moth Euthrix potatoria, lesser cream
wave Scopula immutata (L.), large twin-spot carpet Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata
(Clerck) and then the first of several round-winged muslin moths arrived at about
23.30 hrs. This was followed by three fresh crescent Celaena leucostigma (Hbn.) just
as a fox (Vulpes vulpes) began shouting behind one of the traps and a young long-
eared owl (Asio otus) flew from one crack willow to another, calling out with the
typical squeaky gate sound.

Eventually, at 01.20 hrs, a garden tiger flew in to one of the lights, followed by two
more shortly thereafter. This species seldom arrives before midnight and we knew we
would have to wait for it. It was great to see this gaudy moth actively flying round
the light, onto the sheet and clambering around the egg-tray liners of the light trap.
Interestingly, all three garden tigers were trapped at the centre of the site near the
stream. Had we only operated the two traps we set on the edge of the site, in easiest
access of the towpath, we would have failed to record this species. Other moths to the
lights included the pinion-streaked snout Schrankia costaestrigalis (Steph.), muslin
footman Nudaria mundana (L.), leopard moth Zeuzera pyrina (L.), dark umber
Philereme transversata (Hufn.) and, just before we packed up, a gothic arrived. We
estimated that there were about 200-300 macro-moths per trap by this time. The
total list of macro-moths for the meeting was 95 species.

Forty-four species of Microlepidoptera were recorded, mainly by Martin Corley
and Martin Townsend, of which the most noteworthy were the tortricids
Phalonidia manniana (FvR) (a wetland species which feeds on gipsywort Lycopus
europaeus and water mint Mentha aquatica) and Hysterosia inopiana (Haw.) (local
on fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica Bernh.), the coleophorid Coleophora glaucicolella
Wood (common on Juncus rushes) and the pyralid Eudonia pallida (Curtis) (an
apparently widespread species of marshes, fens and bogs; foodplant possibly
mosses or lichens; Martin Corley recorded 8 in his light-trap but has only seen the
species once before in Oxfordshire, in Waterperry Wood). A single fresh Sitochroa
palealis (D. & S.) (Pyralidae) was probably a wanderer from adjacent habitat
because it is dependent on wild carrot Daucus carota L. which is not a feature of
this site.

Unfortunately, due to some confusion, the wine-ropes we had intended to lure the
old lady failed to arrive. Another job for next year.

64 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 14: 2001

The leaders would like to thank all participants for making this such an enjoyable,
varied and productive field meeting, and English Nature for arranging access
permission and restoration management.

REFERENCES

Brooks, S. & Lewington, R. 1997. Field guide to the dragonflies and damselflies of Great Britain
and Ireland. British Wildlife, Basingstoke.

Brucker, J., 1984. A silent spring in the Kidlington Meadows. Kidlington Calendar March 1984:
12.

Waring, P., 1990. Garden Tiger moth, Arctia caja L. (Lep.: Arctiidae)—a clue to the ideal
habitat for the species? Entomologist’s Record & Journal of Variation 102: 173-175.

Bentley Wood, Wiltshire, 19 August 2000

Leader: Tony Pickles.—This field meeting was arranged with the help of David
Brown, the agent, and Olly Howells the newly appointed warden for Bentley Wood,
to whom I express my thanks. Extensive moth recording has been undertaken in this
well known locality for the purple emperor Apatura iris (L.) and many other
butterflies, and this has been summarised by B. W. Fox and P. Waring
(Entomologist’s Gazette 50: 261-279). The purpose of the meeting was to continue
this recording work and provide some current information for specific areas of the
wood prior to certain thinning and felling operations. It was hoped that the
information provided would be of use in monitoring any changes to fauna resulting
from this work.

In the event these ambitions were somewhat thwarted by a disappointingly low
turnout of members and indifferent weather. Six of us operated MV and kept records
of Lepidoptera specific to the various traps, but no species of ‘macro’ which was not
already well known from the wood was uncovered, and only common ‘micros’ were
seen. The species list submitted to Mr Howells and lodged with Dinton Pastures
totalled just seventy. On a more positive note it is expected that some of the members
who attended will respond to the invitation to continue to record moths here.

THE BRITISH ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY
SOCIETY RESEARCH FUND

The Society invites applications for grants, from its Research Fund, to be awarded
in December 2001. Awards are open to both members and non-members of the
BENHS and will be made to support research on insects and spiders with reference
to the British fauna, and with emphasis on:

(a) the assistance of fieldwork on insects with relevance to their conservation,
(b) work leading to the production of identification guides and distribution lists.

Travel to examine museum collections and to consult taxonomic specialists would
be included. The work and travel is not limited to the British Isles but must have a
demonstrable relevance to the British insect or spider fauna. Preference will be given
to work with a clear final objective (e.g., leading to publication or the production of a
habitat management plan). Work on leaf miners and gall forming insects should be
submitted to the Society’s Professor Hering Memorial Research Fund.

Individual grants are unlikely to exceed £500 and applications for smaller sums are
particularly welcome.

Applicants should send seven copies, if possible (one copy if the application is for
less than £100), of their plan of work, the precise objectives, the amount for which an
award is requested and a brief statement outlining their experience in this area of
work, to Dr J. Muggleton, 30 Penton Road, Staines, Middx, TW18 2LD, as soon as
possible and not later than 30 September 2001. Further information may be obtained
from the same address (email: jmuggleton@compuserve.com).

THE PROFESSOR HERING MEMORIAL RESEARCH FUND

The British Entomological and Natural History Society announces that awards
may be made from this Fund for the promotion of entomological research with
particular emphasis on:

(a) leaf-miners

(b) Diptera, particularly Tephritidae and Agromyzidae
(c) Lepidoptera, particularly Microlepidoptera

(d) general entomology

in the above order of preference having regard to the suitability of applicants and the
plan of work proposed.

Awards may be made to assist travelling and other expenses necessary for
fieldwork, for the study of collections, for attendance at conferences, or,
exceptionally, for the costs of publication of finished work. In total they are unlikely
to exceed £1000 in the year 2002.

Applicants should send six copies, if possible, of a statement of their qualifications,
of their plan of work, and of the precise objects and amount for which an award is
sought, to Dr M. J. Scoble, Department of Entomology, The Natural History
Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 S5BD, UK as soon as possible and not later
than 30 September 2001.

Applications are also invited from persons wishing to borrow the Wild M3
Stereomicroscope and fibre optics illuminator bequeathed to the Fund by the late
Edward Pelham-Clinton, 10th Duke of Newcastle. Loan of this equipment will be
made for a period of up to six months in the first instance.

BRITISH JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY
VOLUME 14, PART 1, MARCH 2001

ARTICLES

Twenty new butterflies from the Solomon islands (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae; Lycaenidae;
Nymphalinae; Satyrinae; Danainae). W. J. TENNENT

Changes in the status of the red wood ant Formica rufa L. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in
north west England during the 20th Century. N. A. ROBINSON

A Scuttle fly (Diptera: Phoridae) new to Britain caught in a net suspended 200 metres above
the ground. R. H. L. DISNEY & J. W. CHAPMAN

Sand dart Agrotis ripae Hb (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Glamorgan—a strandline specialist.
B. STEWART

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS
Further records of Nysius senecionis (Schilling) in the London area. R. A. JONES
The possible introduction to Madeira of the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (L.)

LOCI

PROCEEDINGS AND TRANSACTIONS

BENHS Indoor Meetings February—June 2000 wiht
BENHS Field Meetings Reports

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ephemeroptera Recording Scheme

BENHS Research Fund
The Professor Hering Memorial Research Fund

More observations of dotted chestnut moths. J. DENTON

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