Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

long this broad-bodied beetle is reddish brown with a metallic blueish-green head and thorax and black legs. In mid-June the adults were common at about 1000 ft in the Llanafan area, south of Aberystwyth, sitting on foliage of trees, attracted to light after dusk or in active flight in warm sunshine when, with wings extended, they appear rather like bumble bees to the casual glance. They were fairly numerous at Ddol Uchaf reserve, Flints. on 1 July resting on foliage. The larvae, like those of the closely related May-bug (Melolontha melolontha), feed on roots of grasses and other plants. At times they appear in plague numbers and cause considerable damage to upland pastures. In early September a heavy infestation was noted in a field in Nant Peris, above Llanberis, Caerns. Turf was seen to be dying in patches, and when rolled back, vast numbers of larvae of P.horticola were to be seen. Numerous rooks and jackdaws and a few choughs were reported by the farmer to be feasting on the larvae. Melolontha, in contrast, did not appear to be particularly abundant in 1984. M.J. Morgan A rare Spider found in Wales Haplodrassus minor (0. Pickard- Cambridge) Gnaphosidae is a very rare small drab coloured spider of which only very few specimens have been found in tide litter on shingle on the coasts of Suffolk, Essex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It has never been recorded from Scotland or Ireland and a male speciment taken by J. R. Parker of the British Arachnological Society on 5th June 1984 on the Gwynedd shore of the Menai Straits is the first record for Wales and the west coast of Britain. M.J. Morgan 1985 Birds A friend is repairing an old Anglesey farm house near Llangaffo (Crochan Caffo). During the very cold spell from 11 to 25 January 1985 she was frequently working in one of the ground floor rooms with a heater on the floor. A Wren discovered that a dryer hanging from the ceiling was the warmest perch to be found there. Periodically it flew up the old stone-built chimney and down again into the fireplace with a hibernating Small Tortoiseshell in its beak. Here it would stand on the insect's head, tear off the wings with its beak, and swallow the head and body. It even did this occasionally by artificial light. Eventually the fireplace was littered with the wings of at least 18 butterflies (four wings = one butterfly). A subsequent search below the upstairs chimney and fireplace revealed the wings of at least 32 Small Tortoiseshells, one Peacock and one Red Admiral. At times the Wren had been seen flying upstairs, and on one occasion was seen emerging from the chimney carrying a butterfly so it seems probable that these remains were contemporary with those in the downstairs fireplace. This shows what an extensive hibernaculum there must have been in these long-disused chimneys. L.S.V. & U.M. Venables Short Notes The serotine (Eptesicus serotinus) A species new to Wales The serotine (Eptesicus serotinus) is one of the largest British bats, often roosting in buildings where it normally selects crevice-like locations such as wall cavities (Hutson & Stebbings 1984). Recent records for this species are largely concentrated in southern and south-eastern England (Arnold 1984) although it appears to be expanding its range (Hutson & Stebbings 1984). The recent discovery of these bats in Radnor illustrates this and also provides a new mammal species for the Welsh list. Evidence of serotines occurring in Wales first came from Dr. R. E. Stebbings who, in June 1981, saw bats at Carew Castle, Pembrokeshire displaying the flight characteristics of this species. These observations were repeated in 1982-83. Similar flight observations were made by Tom McOwat in 1982 at Gwernogle near Carmarthen and again near Llandeilo and in 1984 at Templeton, Pembrokeshire. The first indication of the presence of this species in Radnor came in September 1984 when I picked up serotine-like ultrasound calls on an electronic bat detector in the Rock Park, Llandrindod Wells. The bats producing these calls could not be clearly seen and the results of observations on subsequent nights were inconclusive. It was not until July 1985 that I again heard serotine-like ultrasound calls on the detector, this time whilst exploring the grounds of a house at Penybont a few miles from Llandrindod Wells. On this occasion the calls were supported by good views of large bats feeding around nearby trees. A search of the building produced no further evidence. A month later the discovery of a large bat on the wall of the house in daytime prompted another roof search during which a few large bat droppings were found. The bat was eventually identified as a juvenile noctule (Nyctalus noctula), a species that roosts almost exlusively in tree holes, and so of interest if occupying a building. That evening, members of the Mid-Powys Bat Group watched the house and saw four large bats emerge from under the ridge tiles on the roof. These looked most unlike noctules, a species with whose flight pattern we were all quite familiar. Consequently on the next evening one of these bats was caught as it emerged. This was identified as a male serotine and so a new species of mammal for Wales. No other colonies have yet been found in the area although serotine-like bats have now been observed flying at several locations around Llandrindod Wells. Roosting in relatively inaccessible places, these bats may be overlooked by bat workers during surveys. It is therefore quite possible that this species occurs in other parts of Wales. References Arnold, H.R. 1984. Distribution maps of the mammals of the British Isles. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology Biological Records Centre. Hutson, A.M. & Stebbings, R.E. 1984. Focus on Bats slide pack booklet. ICCE/ffPS. John Messenger, Mid-Powys Bat Group, 4 Penrhiw, Llanyre, Llandrindod Wells, Powys. An Entomolgist on Botanical Outings Botanical excursions of various types often prove to be rewarding for the entomologist. Sites picked by botanists for these occasions usually have a wide variety of plants and an accompanying