Other Arthropods Recorder’s Report 2001
1
141 NOTES ON SOME SUFFOLK MOTHS, 2001 Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 38 (2002) Other Arthropods Recorder’s Report 2001 There have been few records of woodlice, centipedes or millipedes submitted for 2001 and my own fieldwork activities have been limited hence it is not surprising that there are no additions to the county checklists or new sites for rare species to report. However two records of millipedes are interesting enough to warrant a mention. The annual conference in October is not normally a meeting where fieldwork is undertaken but one delegate, Imogen Wilde, took a stroll around the grounds of Ipswich School during the lunch break and found numerous specimens of the Bristly Millipede Polyxenus lagurus (see Fig. 1) on the trunks of the lime trees around the perimeter. This tiny millipede is undoubtedly under recorded both within Suffolk and nationally as well. Apart from its size (2–3 mm in length), its appearance is so unlike a typical millipede that it must often be mistaken for an insect larva by the casual observer, most likely the woolly bear larvae of the carpet beetles. S.N.S. members should look out for this species on old stone walls e.g. in churchyards where, in damp conditions, the millipedes will emerge from hiding to graze on lichens and mosses. OTHER ARTHROPODS REPORT Figure 1 The bristly millipede, Polyxenus lagurus In August I led a Field Studies Council group from Flatford Mill to look for woodland beetles at Tiger Hill near Assington. Whilst searching beneath the bark of rotting logs I discovered a single specimen of Nemasoma varicorne, a new record for grid square TL93. Although not a rare species this thread-like snake millipede is collected far less often than the superficially similar Proteroiulus fuscus. Both millipedes are found in the same microsite under the bark of dead wood but P. fuscus is usually present in large numbers therefore I was very surprised that I did not find even one specimen at Tiger Hill. I do not believe that such a common species is not present on a site that is so eminently suitable. I can only assume that, at the time of my visit, either the population had crashed for some reason or that some environmental factor had caused them to migrate to an alternative microsite within the habitat. Paul Lee, 155 Corton Road, Lowestoft NR32 4PR
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Paul Lee
Transcript of Other Arthropods Recorder’s Report 2001
141 NOTES ON SOME SUFFOLK MOTHS, 2001
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 38 (2002)
Other Arthropods Recorder’s Report 2001
There have been few records of woodlice, centipedes or millipedes submitted for 2001 and my own fieldwork activities have been limited hence it is not surprising that there are no additions to the county checklists or new sites for rare species to report. However two records of millipedes are interesting enough to warrant a mention. The annual conference in October is not normally a meeting where fieldwork is undertaken but one delegate, Imogen Wilde, took a stroll around the grounds of Ipswich School during the lunch break and found numerous specimens of the Bristly Millipede Polyxenus lagurus (see Fig. 1) on the trunks of the lime trees around the perimeter. This tiny millipede is undoubtedly under recorded both within Suffolk and nationally as well. Apart from its size (2–3 mm in length), its appearance is so unlike a typical millipede that it must often be mistaken for an insect larva by the casual observer, most likely the woolly bear larvae of the carpet beetles. S.N.S. members should look out for this species on old stone walls e.g. in churchyards where, in damp conditions, the millipedes will emerge from hiding to graze on lichens and mosses.
OTHER ARTHROPODS REPORT
Figure 1 The bristly millipede, Polyxenus lagurus
In August I led a Field Studies Council group from Flatford Mill to look for woodland beetles at Tiger Hill near Assington. Whilst searching beneath the bark of rotting logs I discovered a single specimen of Nemasoma varicorne, a new record for grid square TL93. Although not a rare species this thread-like snake millipede is collected far less often than the superficially similar Proteroiulus fuscus. Both millipedes are found in the same microsite under the bark of dead wood but P. fuscus is usually present in large numbers therefore I was very surprised that I did not find even one specimen at Tiger Hill. I do not believe that such a common species is not present on a site that is so eminently suitable. I can only assume that, at the time of my visit, either the population had crashed for some reason or that some environmental factor had caused them to migrate to an alternative microsite within the habitat.
Paul Lee, 155 Corton Road, Lowestoft NR32 4PR
