On the floor of my moth trap in Rye this morning was this uninvited guest, which according to Chinery’s Insects guide appears to be a male Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera), a widespread species of rough verges, clearings and garden shrubberies that can be found as late as November. I’ve found crickets around the trap before but can’t recall finding one right inside!
While counting butterflies at Castle Water at the end of June this year, I came across several of these strange looking parasitic flies. I sent a couple to Chris Raper, the national recorder, and he has identified them as Erynnia ocypterata, a very rare parasitioid of micro lepidoptera found in woodland or wetland. This is a Red Data Book 2 species in Britain, with very few sites. Another good one for Rye Harbour!
Erynnia ocypterata. Malcolm Storey www.bioimages.org.uk
Pick of the week since last Sunday: 14 Great Skua, 6 Arctic Skua, 622 Brent Geese and 71 Kittiwake all offshore, Short-eared Owl and Merlin on Harbour Farm, 300 Goldfinch heading east overhead along Shore Ridges, ringtail Hen Harrier, Barn Owl, Firecrest and Bittern at Castle Water, a few Redwing and Fieldfare passed overhead at the viewpoint. There has been a good selection of waders on the Beach Reserve please refer to earlier postings.
LATEST - 8:55am 2 Cranes flew over Castle Water heading east.
