David Element

Wildlife Photography

and Digital Video Images

WILDLIFE OF THE WANDLE CORRIDOR - INSECTS

                       BANDED DEMOISELLE Calopteryx splendens (f)

                        LARGE RED DAMSELFLY Pyrrhosoma nymphula (m)

                              AZURE DAMSELFLY Coenagrion puella (m)

                BROAD-BODIED CHASER DRAGONFLY Libellula depressa (f)

                       MIGRANT HAWKER DRAGONFLY Aeshna mixta (m)

                           ROESEL'S BUSH CRICKET Metrioptera roeselii

                   MEADOW GRASSHOPPER Chorthippus parallelus (NYMPH)

      LESSER MARSH GRASSHOPPER Chorthippus albomarginatus (BROWN FORM)

                   HAWTHORN SHIELD BUG Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale

                                     PIED SHIELD BUG Sehirus bicolor

WATER BOATMAN Notonecta sp. (WITH COMMON FROG Rana temporaria TADPOLE)

                        GREEN-VEINED WHITE BUTTERFLY Artogeia napi

                     SPECKLED WOOD BUTTERFLY Parage aegeria tircis

                            RED ADMIRAL BUTTERFLY Vanessa atalanta

                       COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus icarus (f)

                          SMALL BLOOD-VEIN MOTH Scopula imitaria

                       LUNAR UNDERWING MOTH Omphaloscelis lunosa

                    VIOLET BLACK-LEGGED ROBBERFLY Dioctria atricapilla

                                    HOVERFLY Chrysotoxum festivum

                         MARMALADE HOVERFLY Episyrphus balteatus

                            YELLOW DUNG-FLY Scathophaga stercoraria

                                      COMMON WASP Vespula vulgaris

                                 TAWNY MINING BEE Andrena fulva (f)

                                        CUCKOO BEE Coelioxys sp. (m)

                                 TREE BUMBLE BEE Bombus hypnorum

                                  SILPHID BEETLE Ablattaria laevigata

                              HARLEQUIN LADYBIRD Harmonia haxyridis

                                     STAG-BEETLE Lucanus cervus (m) 

• The illustrations above show a random selection of insects that may be found along the River Wandle corridor in South London (although a few of these photographs were taken at other locations). The climate in London is slightly warmer than that of the surrounding countryside ('heat island' effect) and several of these species are actually quite uncommon elsewhere in Britain. London is a significant stronghold for the impressive Stag-beetle. Both Roesel's Bush-cricket and the Lesser Marsh Grasshopper are comparatively recent arrivals to the area. These species are spreading their ranges in response to the warming climate. The Red Admiral Butterfly has only recently started to hibernate successfully in the UK and the sight of one of these insects feeding on Sallow catkins in early Spring could not have been anticipated until a few years ago. The Tree Bumble Bee is another newcomer (to the UK) although this handsome bee has spread its range from the east rather than the south and this is believed to be part of a natural expansion and nothing to do with rising temperatures. Both this bee and the Coelioxys Cuckoo Bee are likely to be new records at the sites where they were recorded - although in the latter case the males of four closely related species are impossible to identify fully from the anatomical details visible from photographs of living insects. The beautiful metallic Banded Demoiselle is now a common sight along the well vegetated areas of river bank, an indication of the much improved water quality of this river. Indeed the biodiversity of some restored sections of the Wandle is actually improving - something of a rare occurrence these days. The fragility of the habitat is periodically exposed by the thoughtless and incredibly selfish contamination of the river with oil or other solvents which will then have a catastrophic effect on the fish and other inhabitants. There are some other negative developments associated with the appearance of certain alien species. One of the most dramatic of these events has been the invasion of the area (and this is not too strong a term to use) by the Harlequin Ladybird. Further information about the impact of this damaging colonist may be found at: http://www.david.element.ukgateway.net/beetles16ladybirds5.htm and by following the links at the bottom of that page. With thanks to Dr. Max Barclay for confirming the identity of the uncommon Silphid Beetle Ablattaria laevigata and to Jeremy Early and David Baldock for their assistance with the identification of the Coelioxyx bee.

© David Element.

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     LINKS...

-> Wildlife of the Wandle Corridor - Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals

-> David Element's Wildlife Web Pages Home Page

-> Chalk Downland Insects

-> Heathland Insects

-> 2tin (Tooting) Environment Page:

       http://pages.britishlibrary.net/tooting/environ.html

-> London Wildlife Trust: http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/

-> Surrey Wildlife Trust: http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/surrey/

-> Butterfly Conservation: http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/

-> London Ladybird Survey: http://www.ladybird-survey.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/         CONTACT PAUL MABBOTT, LONDON LADYBIRD RECORDER, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

-> http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0421_030421_londonriver.html

->http://www.curator.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/aboutus.htg/trial.htg/wandletrail.htm

-> COPYRIGHT INFORMATION