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Entries in River Shingle Insects (1)
Shingle Insect survey
Summary of shingle insect survey of Cumbria - 2005
The importance of Exposed Riverine Sediments (ERS) for invertebrate conservation has been widely established in recent years. Recent studies in Cumbria by members of Carlisle Natural History Society have demonstrated the national significance of sites in Cumbria for invertebrate communities of ERS. Several UK BAP species of ERS and four ERS species new to Britain have been reported from the county.
The definition of Exposed Riverine Sediment and related habitats is discussed in relation to their use by ERS specialised beetles and flies. A few spiders and true bugs are also specialists of ERS. The list of beetles with high fidelity to ERS is well developed at a national level and versions of that list are used in this report. ERS flies have received less attention and a list of high fidelity ERS Diptera is develped here, including a revision of the national rarity categories of some species.
The 2005 survey was undertaken on behalf of English Nature and the Environment Agency to establish the nvertebrate interest of several shingle banks where it was intended to extract shingle for flood defence purposes. Further sites with apparently high invertebrate potential were selected for detailed survey to improve knowledge of the ERS invertebrates of the county and consider the conservation issues facing ERS invertebrate populations in Cumbria. Several UK BAP invertebrates of ERS have been recorded in the county and three of these were particularly targeted during 2005. These were the stiletto-fly Cliorismia rustica and the beetles Bembidion testaceum and Thinobius newberyi.The survey amassed 2168 records of 564 species of invertebrate on ERS in Cumbria, including 80 different species considered to have a high or total fidelity to ERS. 42 of these ERS species are considered nationally or regionally rare or scarce. An additional 30 nationally or regionally rare and scarce species, which are not considered specialists of ERS, were also recorded.The UK BAP ERS stiletto fly
Spiriverpa lunulata1 was recorded at four sites, one of which was not previously known. The UK BAP ERS stiletto fly Cliorismia rustica was recorded at five new locations in the county. The detection and rearing of larvae of Cliorismia rustica has added to the knowledge of the autecology of this species in Cumbria. The UK BAP ERS cranefly Rhabdomastix ‘laeta’ was recorded from four localities.Records amassed during the study have been added to the Cumbria Biological Records Database at Tullie House Museum in Carlisle. Voucher specimens of rare and scarce species collected during the survey are also deposited in the Museum.
Iain MacGowan
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