April sawfly hunting

Spring was a long time coming this year, being cold well into April. I'd had reports of sawflies early in the month from James Emerson, James Symonds and Neil Marks but I didn't get off the ground until 14th April (when Tim Hodge also reported his first, with Nick Elsey the next day). From here on I had quite a good run to 22nd April, then it went cold again. My finds were as follows:

Sat 14th April: Shotesham Common, by sweeping Juncus I found Dolerus varispinus and Pachynematus lichtwardti (I believe).

Tue 17th April: I found four sawflies at Thetford Nunnery Lakes, one netted from a grassy glade (recognised and later confirmed as my first Nematus lucidus), two from sweeping around willow blossom (both Nematinae) and Hoplocampa fulvicornis was swept from blackthorn blossom.

Wed 18th April: afternoon walk on Shotesham Common where I swept three Dolerus spp and one Cladius compressicornis.

Thu 19th April: I popped out to Two Mile Bottom in Thetford Forest at lunchtime, with the express aim of trying to find Xyela julii, and amazingly was successful, sweeping just one from pollen-heavy birch near pines. I also swept two Dolerus, apparently from pine and birch oddly.

Fri 20th April: I swept one Nematinae on Shotesham Common.

Sat 21st April: I visited Lynford Lake in the Brecks and swept four Nematinae and one Hoplocampa chrysorrhoea. I then moved to Foulden Common, finding Nematus lucidus, Hoplocampa fulvicornis and my first ever Pamphilid, this being Pamphilius sylvaticus; also another Nematid and a Dolerus.

Sun 22nd April: Around Shotesham I found Nematus lucidus, another Nematid and a confusing sawfly which seems to key to Hoplocampa but then doesn't seem to fit. Will come back to this.

Then cold on 23rd-25th. Will report on more finds and any further identification successes next time.

P.S. Other species recorded by other recorders so far this year in Norfolk have included Dolerus gonager, Aglaostigma aucupariae and a great record of Acantholyda erythrocephala.

P.P.S. I'm generally not a great blogger, but will try to keep this going reasonably regularly, without promising any nicely polished or well-illustrated articles.