London and the NHM

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London and the NHM

Looks like I am going to London tomorrow with family, would lik to try and get at least one tick. Does anyone have any gen for Arocatus longiceps or Nezara viridula or anything I might see in that neck of the woods?

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Gibster (not verified)
No idea which, if any, of

No idea which, if any, of these you need, mate....but - Phyllonorycter platani is all over the place up by the NHM, I think that's where Emmet found it new to Britain in fact? Southern Green Shieldbug is common on most open areas in South London (Wandsworth Common, Battersea Park, Streatham Common etc) but dunno that there's very much oak up there. Bucculatrix thoracella cocoons will be on lime trunks, huge numbers of microleps mining the Quercus ilex up there. Mites on Q.ilex too, causing masses of rusty coloured erinea on underside of leaf and bumps on upperside. Phyllonorycter tenerella mines on Hornbeam bushes. Phyllonorycters and Stigmellas are plentiful on both Hazel and Norway Maple, Stigmella aceris positively abundant in places! Umm...struggling now...cockroaches in darkened corners??? You'll find something, even if it's only a dodgy weed in the kerb! :)

Gibster (not verified)
Arocatus longiceps

That bug should be all over the place, just googled it and I don't think you'll struggle. Not called London Plane fer nuffin, lol!!! Keep an eye out for Southern Oak Bush-cricket on ceilings even if there's not much oak around!

Thanks very much mate, I'll

Thanks very much mate, I'll take my camera incase I see anything but I won't have much time!!!

Nezara viridula

Seth, I've not seen Southern Green Shieldbug Nezara viridula, and I hear it's not doing very well, with just occasional records, mostly from allotments. If you've got recent gen, I'd be interested.

Gibster (not verified)
Aah - sorry Mark, I think I
Aah - sorry Mark, I think I've been a bit misleading - I unwittingly morphed Southern Oak Bush-cricket into Southern Green Shieldbug. I meant the SOBC is doing well on the commons rather than the shieldbug. Apologies for the confusion, just me having one of my increasingly common 'senior moments'. I've seen the shieldbug in Russia Dock Woodlands in Rotherhithe, had several there a few years ago whhilst getting microlep records for teh Surrey Atlas.
Thanks Seth

I think everyone makes those name-retrieval errors once in a while and they can be really difficult to spot.

Gibster (not verified)
Yeah, but that's the second

Yeah, but that's the second time this week. I went out in search of Wild Basil the other day and somehow I ended up writing 'Wild Boar'....