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Containing this issue: 
 
GREAT SILVER WATER BEETLE AT ORFORD by Stuart Warrington and Jim Askins
REDISCOVERY OF THE PEPPER POT FUNGUS by Neil Mahler
TALE OF THE PALE PINION MOTH by Juliet Hawkins

GREAT SILVER WATER BEETLE AT ORFORD

In White Admiral 60 in 2004, we reported that several adults of Britain’s largest beetle, the Great Silver Water Beetle Hydrophilus piceus (L.) (Hydrophilidae) had been trapped and released by Jim Askins from a UV light trap run on Orford Ness TM438490. More of these beetles were trapped in 2005, one each on April 3rd and 4th, May 25th, August 1st, 3rd, 24th, September 5th, October 9th and November 1st. We had speculated that these beetles might be migrants, since the aquatic habitats on Orford Ness are too brackish for the species and the site was many miles from any known GSWB population. However, there might be suitable habitat on the ‘mainland’ and SW decided to take a look.

Following the river wall path, about half a mile north from Orford village, there is a footpath that cuts back across the fields and crosses a field edge ditch. This ditch on Orford Town Marsh at TM430498 was investigated on the 26th May 2005. A pond net was swept several times through the ditch vegetation and to my delight, when I pulled out a netful of ivy-leaved duckweed (Lemna trisulcata) and tipped it into a white tray, what should emerge but a large female GSWB. Also found at the same place were the water beetles Noterus clavicornis, Laccobius bipunctatus, Hydroporus palustris, Haliplus flavicollis, Haliplus lineatocollis and the whirligig beetle Gyrinus caspius. A second visit on 23rd June did not find any more GSWB, partly because the water levels in the ditches were so low, but Cymbiodyta marginella and Hygrotus inaequalis were added to the site list.

There are miles and miles of field ditches in the marshes to the south and north of Orford. It is highly likely that there is a thriving GSWB population in these ditches, especially where the water quality is good; there is a good range of aquatic plants, including ivy-leaved duckweed, and plenty of water snails - food! Deep, steep-sided ditches by arable fields certainly won’t be favoured, nor those choked by reeds. There are few footpaths in this area and a comprehensive survey would be difficult, but a walkover survey using binoculars might give an idea of the potential extent of the habitat.

Another interesting observation concerns the very long flight season for this beetle. It has been recorded in flight for at least seven months of the year and does so in a range of weather conditions (warm, cool, wet and dry). So it is hard to understand what triggers its flight. Are these beetles searching for new habitats to colonise, or for food, or places to lay eggs? It has been suggested that GSWB could be added to the UK Biodiversity Action Plan list of priority species from 2006. If that is the case, then we will need to take a closer look at all of the miles of coastal ditches!

Stuart Warrington and Jim Askins: National Trust
E-mail Stuart at: stuart.warrington@nationaltrust.org.uk

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REDISCOVERY OF THE PEPPER POT FUNGUS

The Pepper Pot fungus Myriostoma coliforme (from Greek via modern Latin meaning ‘many mouthed, column shaped’) is probably one of the most apt English names given to any fungus.

Its occurrence in Britain was first described in 1776 by Withering in East Anglia, giving rise in 1809 to the short-lived specific name anglicum. It was last collected in 1880 at Hillingdon, Norfolk and was not recorded again on mainland Britain until 19th February 2006 when it was found in Ipswich by a man walking his dog. On looking up the fungus in Phillips’ Mushrooms and discovering that his tentative identification was “apparently extinct in Britain” the anonymous dog walker advised an acquaintance, a Mr Chris Povey. The latter eventually contacted the British Mycological Society’s Conservation Officer, Shelley Evans and the identification was confirmed.

I am confused about the location of the first discovery of the Pepper Pot fungus. In Fungi (Evans and Kibby) Shelley Evans states “first described from East Anglia” whereas in Mushrooms and Toadstools (1953) Ramsbottom writes “it is very rare, its discovery being due to A. Doody who found it in September 1695 in a lane in Kent”. He goes on to say “It was next found in Norfolk in 1782 and in the same area 1880 and a few times since. It has also been recorded in Suffolk and once in Worcester”. British Puffballs, Earthstars and Stinkhorns (Pegler, Laessoe & Spooner) says it has been recorded in nine English localities and not seen for more than a century. The species was first collected in Kent by John Ray in 1695 (at the same location as Goody’s find) and also reported at Hampton Court Palace by Ray. The last known collection was at Hillingdon, Norfolk in 1880.

The Fungus Conservation Forum is currently reviewing Biodiversity Action Plan species and has proposed M. coliforme and 72 other non-lichenised fungal species for inclusion. At present only 27 fungi are listed so this will be a major step forward for fungal conservation.

In conclusion M.Coliforme has been short-listed as a candidate species in Appendix 1 of the ‘Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats’, otherwise known as the Bern Convention, by the European Council for the Conservation of Fungi (ECCF). It is also included in the Red List of 12 European countries. Conservation recommendations include continuation of traditional farming methods (grazing) and prevention of tree felling.

I do not know whether the conservation recommendations would be appropriate for the Ipswich site. Have increased temperatures due to climate change encouraged spores to germinate in Britain? I suspect that the Pepper Pot has always been fruiting sporadically at this spot and I suggest that for the time being at least the location of the site should be known only to selected individuals.

References

Evans, S. & Kibby, G. (2004). Fungi. Dorling Kindersley, London.

Pegler, D.N., Laessoe, T. & Spooner, B.M. (1995). British Puffballs, Earthstars and Stinkhorns. RGB, Kew, London.

Ramsbottom, J. (1953). Mushrooms and Toadstools. Collins New Naturalist, London.

Neil Mahler, ADDRESS

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TALE OF THE PALE PINION MOTH

A thrill to find a moth that is new to the county! I put out my moth trap for the first time this year on 22nd April on the back lawn in Milden and trapped a pale pinion moth. It was cunningly disguised as a light arches moth to a non-expert like me, but checking its flight period, it was patently clear it was not. The moral of this story is that even if you are not an expert, it is worth persevering with your own hunch on identification as it may turn out to be a new record (which mine was) verified by Arthur Watchman in the neighbouring village who saw my bicycled-over live specimen, and Tony Prichard (Suffolk moth recorder) by my e-mailed digital photo.

The pale pinion (Lithopane hepatica) has one generation October-November, overwinters as an adult and reappears March-May when it breeds. It is thinly distributed and usually seen only in small numbers in southern and south-west England, and occurs in south-east England and has been occasionally recorded in East Anglia, Lincolnshire and north-west England (Waring, Townsend & Lewington 2003) - and now occasional in Suffolk!

 

Juliet Hawkins

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