THE HOVERFLIES (SYRPHIDAE) OF BROMESWELL GREEN NATURE RESERVE

A . C . H U B B A R D

This Suffolk Wildlife Trust Reserve is situated on the eastern bank of the River Deben a few miles north of Woodbridge. It consists of a number of diverse habitat types within a relatively small area (19.5 hectares).

The areas of herb-rich grassland with associated wet flushes and areas of sedge constitute the most important habitat for syrphids. Flowers of Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) provide a food source for spring emerging species and there then follows a succession of flowering plants throughout the summer, including Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris), Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica) and Water Mint (Mentha aquatica), all particularly favoured by hoverflies.

Areas of woodland and scrub are comparatively recent in origin, but there are some good standards of Oak and Ash, mature Alder coppice and an understorey of Hazel coppice and Holly in some areas. Scrub species include Willow, Blackthorn and Bramble, the catkins of the former are again particularly valuable to spring emerging species.

Other habitat types include reedbed, brackish marsh and freshwater streams.

Recording of hoverflies has been carried out by the author over the last ten years, more comprehensively since 1985, and a total of 63 species has been identified. Notes on the more interesting species are set out below, followed by a complete species list for the reserve. Nomenclature follows Stubbs and Falk (1983).

Platycheirus fulviventris

Recorded occasionally in areas of brackish marsh; described as local in the county (George, W. S. & Aston, A. E., 1960)

Pyrophaena granditarsa and P. rosarum

P. granditarsa was not seen on the reserve until 1989 whereas P. rosarum has always occurred regularly. Both species occur in wet meadows with lush vegetation; the latter has also been noted along rides through Alder coppice.

Chrysogaster chalybeata All three species in this genus have been recorded on the flowers of umbellifers. C. chalybeata has been noted on one occasion only; it is described as scarce in the south east of the country (Stubbs, A. E. & Falk S. J., 1983).

Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 27 (1991)

14 Suffolk Natural History, Vol. 27

Neoascia meticulosa A specimen of this small syrphid was swept from an area of Carex riparia in May 1989, providing the only record for this local species.

Helophilus trivittatus

Single specimens are seen occasionally on the flowers of umbellifers growing in the wet meadows.

Parhelophilus frutetorum

Described as 'a very local species' by Stubbs, A. E. and Falk, S. J., singles have been observed along a stream bank adjacent wet meadows and also along a ride through mature Alder coppice.

Sericomyia silentis

Frequent since first being recorded in 1985, often seen on vegetation along woodland rides and in wet meadows, especially late summer and into autumn.

Criorhina berberina

This species normally frequents ancient woodland, therefore interesting to see it here in early August 1985.

Tropidia scita

Another local species associated with lush vegetation, recorded regularly in meadows; most records occur in June.

Baccha sp. (Fab.), Melanostoma mellinum (L.)., M. scalare (Fab.), Platycheirus albimanus (Fab.), P. clypeatus (Mg.), P. fulviventris (Macq.), P. manicatus (Mg.), P. peltatus (Mg.), P. scutatus (Mg.), Pyrophaena granditarsa (Forst.), P. rosarum (Fab.), Chrysotoxum cautum (Harris), Dasysyrphus albostriatus (Fall.), D. tricinctus (Fall.), Epistrophe eligans (Harris), Episyrphus balteatus (Deg.), Ischyrosyrphus laternaria (Muller), Leucozona lucorum (L.), Meliscaeva cinctella (Zett.), Metasyrphus corollae (Fab.), M. latifasciatus (Macq.), M. luniger (Mg.), Scaeva pyrastri (L.), Sphaerophoria scripta (L.), Syrphus ribesii (L.), S. torvus (Ost.-Sack.), S. vitripennis (Mg.), Cheilosia albitarsis (Mg.), C. bergenstammi (Beck.), C. fraterna (Mg.), C. illustrata (Harris), C. pagana (Mg.), C. vernalis (Fall.), Ferdinandea cuprea (Scop.), Rhingia campestris (Mg.), Chrysogaster chaly-beata (Mg.), C. hirtella (Loew.), C. solstitialis (Fall.), Neoascia meticulosa (Scop.), N. podagrica (Fab.), N. tenur (Harris), Orthonevra splendens (Mg.), Anasimyia contracta (Claus. & Torp.), Eoseristalis arbustorum (L.), E. hordeola (Deg.), E. intricarius (L.), E. nemorum (L.), E. pertinax (Scop.,) Eristalis tenax (L.), Helophiluspendulus (L.), H. trivittatus (Fab.),

Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 27 (1991)

THE HOVERFLIES (SYRPHIDAE) OF BROMESWELL GREEN NATURE RESERVE 15

Myathropa florea (L.), Parhelophilus frutetorum (Fab.), Eumerus strigatus (Fall.), Merodon equestris (Fab..), Sericomyia silentis (Harris), Volucella bombylans (L.), V. pellucens (L.), Criorhina berberina (Fab.), Syritta pipiens (L.), Tropidia scita (Harris), Xylota segnis (L.), X. sylvarum (L.).

References

George, W. S. & Aston, A. E., (1960) The Diptera of Suffolk. Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. n, 314.

Stubbs, A. E . & Falk, S. J., (1983) British Hoverflies BENHS.

A. C. Hubbard, 45 Dorset Close, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 3BJ

Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 27 (1991)