Insects

Species - Insects

The Heather shieldbug Rhacognathus punctatus on lowland heath woodland transition habitat with birch in Strathspey.

This is a local species that BSCG has since 2009 photographed on this threatened An Camas Mor site. In 1994 Stewart Taylor - whose contributions to conservation in the North of Scotland have been recognized by an MBE honour this year - recorded this bug  in a clearing in Anagach wood. Currently Stewart Taylor's record is the only one for this bug available on the NESBReC website or on the National Biodiversity Network for the Cairngorms area.

Species - Insects

There are a few hundred kinds of springtails recorded from the UK but we do not even know of an educated guess for the numbers of different kinds currently living in the soil under our feet in Badenoch and Strathspey. As with much of the biodiversity around us there is a lot to learn.
 
Famously in August 2009 BSCG member Tim Ransom found the first member of the species of springtail Bourletiella viridescens for Britain. For those not seeking to aspire to add a new kind of creature to the British list but simply developing an interest in macro-photography, springtails  provide an interesting challenge and are still around in the soil in winter. 
 
This winter a few members are starting work on a preliminary key to the identification of our local springtails. Needless to say  Tim  described by the Scotsman as an “eagle-eyed  expert” is the enthusiast behind this project on these little and  also little appreciated creatures. His experience that includes producing another such local key will be invaluable.
 
Bourletiella viridescens has not been rediscovered on Cairn Gorm this year and unfortunately some specialists, who had hoped to come and look for it and other species on Cairn Gorm,  failed to raise the funding they needed to visit. The iconic local springtail has however been adopted as the logo for a popular and widely distributed newsletter about Invertebrates in Scotland the second edition of which is now available as a pdf from Buglife Scotland.
 
 Now that we have started looking hopefully we can add to understanding about the very little explored biodiversity of springtails we have. We can expect  there to be more kinds in our district waiting to be recorded and who knows what interesting new discoveries? All springtail photos will be gratefully received and If you are interesting in becoming involved in the springtail (Collembola) spotting project don’t hesitate to phone 01479 821 491.

The now relatively famous  Bourletiella viridescens, blown up to look much larger than 1mm, from an article shortly after the unexpected discovery  published in Sepetember 2009 in the Scotsman newspaper.

Species - Insects

This attractive bee species has been recorded quite widely in the Cairngorm National Park but usually it is only single individuals foraging that are observed whereas BSCG found a nesting site with a congregation of up to 15 females within Boat of Garten wood in May 2009 directly within the area proposed for clear-felling by the developers Davall for a housing development. 

Bee - Andrena lapponica. © 2009 Tim Ransom, BSCG.

According to the records on NBN this is the first time within the Cairngorm National Park that a congregational nesting site has been found for this species. Normally the nest burrows for this species are widely scattered rather than being as a congregation so to find up to 15 females all nesting together in one small area within the woodland is uncommon. According to a hymenopteran expert from the Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society (BWARS) the finding of a congregational nesting site for this species is a 'great discovery' as it is uncommon to find one.

The main food plants for the bee are  considered to be species of Vaccinium  of which there is an abundance within Boat of Garten wood and any disturbance caused to this nesting colony will be of a detrimental value for the survival of this species within this woodland and will cause the loss of the only apparently recorded congregational nesting site within the Cairngorm National Park.

Species - Insects

Following our excellent ‘Butterflies and magical moths of the Mossie’ Illustrated Talk by Dr Tom Prescott, Species Conservation Officer Butterfly Conservation Scotland, here are the area recorders:

Moth records to…

VC 95, Moray
Michael Taylor, Allasdale, Kinchurdy Road, Boat of Garten, Inverness-shire, PH24 3BP.
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tel 01479 831060.

VC 96, East Inverness-shire
Pete Moore, 90A High Street, Grantown-on-Spey, Inverness-shire, PH26 3EL
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tel 01540 661518 or 01479 872261. 

 Rannoch sprawler 'Brachionycha nubeculosa' a moth to look out for early in the season camouflaged on a birch tree. Taken in Milton Wood Aviemore. © 2010 BSCG.