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by Andrew Grayson
All was quiet on the local entomological front during 2005. No lists were received, and I spent only 12 days in the field collecting during the entire year, only 3 of which were in Yorkshire; only 1 in our area, and that for only 2 hours. During most years, I am in the field for at least an hour on most days from Spring to Autumn, but other matters have needed to be dealt with during 2005.
Over the past few years, I have been preparing a list of Yorkshire Diptera, which currently stands at 4009 species; however, with continuous revision and research, this total rises and falls, almost on a daily basis. Many of the species, for which I hold records, have yet to be published as occurring in Yorkshire, and it is of paramount importance to the forthcoming book that they are published somewhere. In this report, I have listed a few species from the North York Moors area, and appended a list of Diptera recorded from Malham Tarn, to which the R.N.H.S. paid a visit during 1998.
As some of you may know, Jim Pewtress rings birds [the feathered kind] and therefore occasionally encounters parasitic blood-sucking flies of the family Hippoboscidae. I asked Jim if he would collect these, and hand them to me with data; but they have proved difficult for Jim to catch, as they usually fly off their host or bury themselves within its feathers: obviously the prospect of being captured and killed does not appeal to them! Jim has finally ‘broken his duck’ and taken a specimen of Ornithomya avicularia (Linnaeus, 1758) (det. A. Grayson) off a Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) on 23.7.2005, at Ellington Banks, Ripon, SE4247.
Strictly speaking; species become ‘new’ to an area once their occurrence has been published in documentary form, i.e. in books and papers which are made available to the public. The following are therefore new to Yorkshire. Species names followed by an asterisk have not been recorded elsewhere in Yorkshire. Initials are as follows: PJC = Peter Chandler, JHC = Jon Cole, RHLD = Henry Disney, WAE = Bill Ely, ARG = Andrew Godfrey, DJdCH = David Henshaw, GJK = Geoff King, IP = Ivan Perry, PS = Peter Skidmore.
Cordyla semiflava* (Staeger, 1840): Sand Dale, SE575848, 15.7.1996, JHC
Exechia frigida (Boheman, 1865): Job Cross, (wet area), NZ692110, 13.10.1977, J. C. Coulson, det. PJC; Murk Mire, (wet area), NZ797025, 13.10.1977, J. C. Coulson, det. PJC
Exechiopsis (Exechiopsis) dumitrescae* (Burghele-Balacesco, 1972): Easington Beck, NZ7516, 11.10.1990, PJC & J. Mousley
E. (E.) unguiculata (Lundström, 1911): Hazel Heads Wood, Blow Gill, SE528932, 18.7.1978, JHC
Phthinia humilis Winnertz, 1863: Ashberry Pasture, (in shade), SE5684, 8.6.1980, PS
Bradysia aprica* (Winnertz, 1867): Keld Head, Pickering, SE7884, 31.3.1997 (♂ [slide of genitalia] ex trap in garden), GJK
B. nitidicollis (Meigen, 1818): Ashberry Pasture, SE5684, 12.10.1990 (♂), PJC; Tup Hag Wood, SE5867, 12.10.1990 (♂), PJC
Camptochaeta coei* (Freeman, 1983): Rosedale, SE79, 4.8.1987, (♂ [slide of genitalia]), GJK
Corynoptera blanda* (Winnertz, 1867): Low pasture, Hawnby, SE5389, 12.10.1990 (♂), PJC
C. hypopygialis (Lengersdorf, 1926): Park End, NZ7009, 22-25.6.1981 (♂), RHLD
C. irmgardis* (Lengersdorf, 1930): Low Pasture, Hawnby, SE5389, 12.10.1990 (♂), PJC
C. minima (Meigen, 1818): Fylingdales, SE860980, 7.7.1987 (♂♀), 1996, GJK
Leptosciarella (Leptosciarella) melanoma* (Mohrig & Menzel, 1990): Raindale, SE8092, 19.7.1996 (♂), ARG, det. PJC
Trichosia (Trichosia) glabra* (Meigen, 1830): Fylingdales, SE860980, 1996, GJK
Palpomyia luteifemorata* Edwards, 1926: Forge Valley, SE9885, 21.7.1979, WAE
Eukiefferiella tirolensis* Goetghebuer, 1938: Dalby Beck, Ellerburn, SE850843, 22.2.1986 (♂♀ exuviae), GJK
Heterotrissocladius marcidus (Walker, 1856): Keld Head Spring, Pickering, SE7884, 24.3.1985 (♀), 11.5.1985 (♂♀♀), 19.5.1985 (3), GJK
Conchapelopia viator (Kieffer, 1911): Mulgrave Woods, NZ81, 15.9.1990 (♂ exuviae), GJK
Hilara obscura Meigen, 1822: Duncombe Park, SE68, 4.7.1981 (167♂♂, 109♀♀), PS; Hawnby, (by River Rye), SE534899, 19.7.1996, IP; Sand Dale, SE8584, 15.7.1996, JHC
Aphrosylus celtiber*Haliday, 1835: Cayton Bay, TA08, 9.7.1995 (common), J. D. Coldwell
Thrypticus pollinosus Verrall, 1912: Sand Dale, SE8584, 26.6.1990, IP
Orygma luctuosum* Meigen, 1830: Cayton Bay, TA066844, 5.9.1985 (swept on cliff flush), R. S. Key, det. PS
Agromyza alnivora Spencer, 1969: East Row Beck, Mulgrave Woods, NZ8512, 15.9.1990, WAE
Cerodontha (Dizygomyza) luctuosa (Meigen, 1830): Sand Dale, SE857848, 15.7.1996, JHC
Phytomyza ranunculivora Hering, 1932: East Row Beck, Mulgrave Woods, NZ8512, 15.9.1990, WAE
P. tenella Meigen, 1830: Seive Dale Fen, SE855879, 15.7.1996, JHC; Sand Dale, SE857848, 15.7.1996, JHC; Troutsdale, SE902875, 15.7.1996, JHC
Chlorops serenus Loew, 1866: Duncombe Park, SE68, 10.6.1980, PS
Delia carduiformis (Schnabl in Schnabl & Dziedzicki, 1911): Wykeham, SE98, 8-11.9.1978 (at light), P. Q. Winter, det. PS
Coenosia stigmatica* Wood, 1913: Mulgrave Woods, NZ8512, 15.9.1990, WAE
Spanochaeta dorsalis (von Roser, 1840): Seive Dale Fen, SE855879, 15.7.1996, JHC; Sand Dale, SE857848, 15.7.1996, JHC; Troutsdale, SE902875, 15.7.1996, JHC
On 17.7.1998, the Ryedale Natural History Society held an excursion to Malham Tarn, which is a site of great relevance to Yorkshire dipterology, due to the work carried out there during the 1970s and 1980s, principally by Henry Disney. During his time at Malham Tarn, Dr. Disney also held annual Diptera courses which encouraged some of the attendees to pursue dipterology in a serious manner. David Henshaw, a regular attendee on the courses, has considerably added to our knowledge of the leaf-mining family Agromyzidae in Yorkshire. The Diptera recorded at Malham Tarn includes many species not previously published as occurring in Yorkshire, including the following:
Allodia (Allodia) lundstroemi Edwards, 1921 [det. PJC]; A. (A.) truncata Edwards, 1921 [det. PJC]; A. (Brachycampta) barbata (Lundström, 1909) [det. PJC]; A. (B.) pistillata* (Lundström, 1911) [det. PJC]; Anatella minuta (Staeger, 1840) [det. PJC]; Cordyla fissa Edwards, 1925 [det. PJC]; C. murina Winnertz, 1863 [det. PJC]; Exechia festiva Winnertz, 1863 [det. DJdCH]; E. seriata (Meigen, 1830) [det. DJdCH]; Exechiopsis (Xenexechia) pollicata (Edwards, 1925) [det PJC]; Myrosia maculosa (Meigen, 1818) [det. PJC]; Rymosia bifida Edwards, 1925 [RHLD]; Phronia disgrega* Dziedzicki, 1889 [det. PJC]; Trichonta foeda Loew, 1869 [det. PJC]; Paratinia sciarina Mik, 1874 [DJdCH]; Cratyna (Spathobdella) falcifera* (Lengersdorf, 1933) [det. RHLD]; C. (S.) nobilis (Winnertz, 1867) [RHLD]; Chamaepsila (Chamaepsila) luteola* (Collin, 1944) [D. K. Clements]; Lonchaea nitens (Bigot, 1885) [RHLD]; Agromyza abiens* Zetterstedt, 1848 [DJdCH]; A. frontella* (Rondani, 1875) [DJdCH]; Aulagromyza cornigera* (Griffiths, 1973) [RHLD]; Cerodontha (Icteromyza) lineella* (Zetterstedt, [1838]) [DJdCH]; C. (Poemyza) Calosoma* (Hendel, 1931) [DJdCH]; C. (P.) incisa (Meigen, 1830) [DJdCH]; C. (P.) muscina (Meigen, 1830) [det. DJdCH]; Chromatomyia farfarella* (Hendel, 1935) [det. DJdCH]; C. opacella* (Hendel, 1935) [DJdCH]; Liriomyza congesta (Becker, 1903) [det. DJdCH]; L. infuscata* Hering, 1926 [det. DJdCH]; L. sonchi* Hendel, 1931 [det. DJdCH]; L. virgo* (Zetterstedt, [1838]) [det. DJdCH]; Phytomyza arnicae* Hering, 1925 [det. DJdCH]; P. campanulae* Hendel, 1920 [DJdCH]; P. cecidonomyia Hering, 1937 [det. DJdCH]; P. continua Hendel, 1920 [det. DJdCH]; P. nigritula* Zetterstedt, [1838] [det. DJdCH]; P. plantaginis Robineau-Desvoidy, 1851 [det. DJdCH]; P. rostrata* Hering, 1934 [det. DJdCH]; P. schlicki* Spencer, 1976 [det. DJdCH]; P. soenderupi* Hering, 1941 [DJdCH]; P. wahlgreni Rydén, 1944 [det. DJdCH]; Anthomyza dissors Collin, 1944 [PS]; Thaumatomyia trifasciata (Zetterstedt, 1848) [DJdCH]; Lipara rufitarsis* Loew, 1858 [DJdCH]; Drosophila (Drosophila) repleta* Woolaston, 1858 [det. B. H. Cogan]; Hydrellia porphyrops* Haliday, 1839 [det. A. G. Irwin]; Botanophila hucketti (Ringdahl, 1935) [D. M. Unwin]; B. profuga (Stein, 1916) [det. PS]; B. spinosa (Rondani, 1866) [det. PS]; Egle rhinotmeta (Pandélle, 1900) [det. PS]; Delia cardui (Meigen, 1826) [det. PS]; Pegomyia (Phoraea) rubivora* (Coquillett in Slingerland, 1897) [det. A. C. Pont]; Coenosia trilineella* (Zetterstedt, [1838]) [RHLD]; Helina concolor* (Czerny, 1900) [Mrs. E. C. Broadhead]; Phaonia latipalpis* Schnabl in Schnabl & Dziedzicki, 1911 [det. Y. Z. Erzinçlioğlu & D. M. Unwin].
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