Part 2: Nematocera and Aschiza not dealt with by Falk (1991) - JNCC

CEPHALOSPHAERA GERMANICA
A big-headed fly LOWER RISK (Nationally Scarce)
Order DIPTERA
Family PIPUNCULIDAE
Cephalosphaera germanica Aczél, 1940
Identification Keyed by Coe (1966) and De Meyer (1989).
Distribution Widely distributed in England and also present
in South Wales: Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire,
Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Oxfordshire,
Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire,
Worcestershire, Westmorland and Glamorgan.
Habitat Broad-leaved woodland. Most recent records are
from ancient forest areas but the Cornish record was from
sand dunes and the Caharton Bay site in Devon is a cliff
with scrub backed by woodland. The Welsh record was
from scrub at the edge of an Oak (Quercus) wood.
Ecology Biology unknown. Probably as in Cephalops a
parasitoid of leaf hoppers of the family Delphacidae. Adults
recorded from May to early August.
Status This was recorded from fourteen counties by Coe
(1966) but there have been comparatively few recent
records, although three further counties have been added.
Ten post 1960 records have been confirmed: Penhale Sands,
Cornwall (2002); Charlton Bay, Devon (2003); Vallis Vale
and Goblin Combe, Somerset (1985); Savernake Forest,
Wiltshire (1990); Alice Holt Forest, Hampshire (1970);
Orlestone Forest, Kent (1980); Staffhurst Wood, Surrey
(1972); King’s Forest, Suffolk (1995); Pwlldu Bay,
Glamorgan (1994). Not listed in Shirt (1987) or Falk (1991).
Threats Unclear, other than clearance of native woodland
for agriculture or commercial forestry.
Management and conservation Maintain woodlands in
natural state with all successional stages including rides and
clearings with mosaic of herbaceous vegetation.
Published sources Chandler (1969); Coe (1966).
CLARAEOLA HALTERATA
A big-headed fly LOWER RISK (Nationally Scarce)
Order DIPTERA
Family PIPUNCULIDAE
Claraeola halterata (Meigen, 1838)
Identification Keyed by Coe (1966) and von der Dunk
(1997) as Eudorylas halteratus and by Ackland (2002). This
species was transferred to Claraeola by Skevington &
Yeates (2001).
Distribution Records scattered widely in southern England,
north to Lancashire and one record from South Wales:
Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Kent, Berkshire,
Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire,
Lancashire; Glamorgan.
Habitat Most records relate to grassland in chalk or
limestone areas, with a preference for species-rich short
turf.
Ecology Biology unknown; members of the tribe Eudorylini
are parasitoids of leaf hoppers of the family Cicadellidae as
larvae. Adults recorded from late May to early July, but
mostly in June so a rather short flight period is evident.
Status There are fifteen known post 1970 sites and it is may
be more widespread in calcareous areas than present records
indicate. There is a long history at Aston Rowant NNR
(records in 1934, 1968 and 1990) but no more recent record.
In Cambridgeshire it has apparently disappeared from
Devil’s Ditch, where it occurred in 1988 and 1993 but it
was found at a new site, Fleam Dyke, in 2004 (I. Perry pers.
comm.). Not listed in Shirt (1987) and status revised from
Notable in Falk 1991, where it was included as Eudorylas
halteratus.
Threats Habitat loss to agriculture or afforestation;
especially changes in grazing management of chalk or
limestone grassland or scrub encroachment due to a
reduction in grazing. Overgrazing may be a problem at
some sites including Aston Rowant NNR. One of the
Hampshire sites, a SSSI adjoining Stockbridge Down,
where this species was recorded in 1970 subsequently
suffered scrub encroachment and was manually cleared to
restore it in 1992, when there was a temporary loss of
vegetation.
Management and conservation Maintain a mosaic of
vegetation types and existing grazing patterns on grassland
sites, employing rotational grazing where necessary.
Published sources Coe (1966); Skevington & Yeates
(2001); Verrall (1901).
CLARAEOLA MELANOSTOLA
A big-headed fly LOWER RISK (Nationally Scarce)
Order DIPTERA
Family PIPUNCULIDAE
Claraeola melanostola (Becker, 1898)
Identification Keyed by Coe (1966) and von der Dunk
(1997) as Eudorylas melanostolus and by Ackland (2002).
This species was transferred to Claraeola by Skevington &
Yeates (2001)
Distribution Nineteen scattered sites in southern England,
north to Yorkshire: Cogley Wood (1979), Somerset; Wylye
(1977), Wiltshire; Lyndhurst (1894) and Shortheath
Common (1990), Hampshire; Tunbridge Wells (1920) and
Woolwich Wood (1956, 1957), Kent; Weybridge (1909),
Sydenham Hill Wood (2004) and Bransland Wood,
Bletchingley (2004), Surrey; Epping Forest (1907), Essex;
Knebworth (1927), Hertfordshire; Wytham Wood (1949)
and Windsor Great Park (1989), Berkshire; Worlington
(1950), Barton Mills (1958) and King’s Forest (1989),
Suffolk; Woodditton Wood (1996), Cambridgeshire;
Bishop’s Wood (1954), Staffordshire; Slingsby (1947),
Yorkshire.
Habitat Old broad-leaved woodland, including marshy
areas; some sheltered chalk grassland sites and a limestone
gorge in the Mendips.
Ecology Biology unknown; members of the tribe Eudorylini
are parasitoids of leaf hoppers of the family Cicadellidae as
larvae. The Epping Forest individual was reared from a
pupa found in rotten wood although it seems likely that this
was merely a pupation site. Adults recorded in July.
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