cf125's Journal

There are 7 United Kingdom observations of this Harvestman on Inaturalist, all in Greater London, with the first being on 14 May 2022. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=6857&taxon_id=347952

6 observations were made on the same wall in a domestic garden near Epsom in 2022, 2023 and 2024. See https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/205411433

The other observation was made in Battersea Park, Central London, on 17 April 2022. It was motionless on a leaf of Smyrnium olusatrum. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/155350780 Despite many searches thereafter, it has not been seen there again. The initial identification as D. granifera was made by @ldvn, an Opiliones researcher in France.

All observations were of females, and were in April and May. The same records are on GBIF:
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=4553452&gadm_gid=GBR
There are no records on NBN Atlas and the species is not listed there.

Further details about the species here:
https://www.insecte.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1783326

Dasylobus Graniferus in Battersea Park on 17 April 2022 © Clive Freedman, some rights reserved (CC-BY)

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/155350780

The first time I saw this wasp was on 27 August 2022, in the Herb Garden in Battersea Park. https://uk.inaturalist.org/observations/132809120 . It was on Goldenrod (Solidago}. The next day I saw it again but I did not manage to get a photo.

I saw it again 2 weeks later, on 10 September 2022, and this time I was able to take better photos. https://uk.inaturalist.org/observations/134427963

The first sighting in the United Kingdom, in Greenwich, SE London, had been in August 2016.
https://thelandtrust.org.uk/news/new-britain-grass-carrying-wasp-discovered-greenwich-eco-park/

By the time of my first sighting there had been 6 records on Inaturalist. https://uk.inaturalist.org/observations/181595203

This is the link to all the 15 records on Inaturalist, 8 of which were in Greater London and the others in SE England (Thames Estuary at Southend-on-Sea) and the South Midlands (near Royal Leamington Spa). https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?order_by=observed_on&place_id=6857&taxon_id=203340&verifiable=any
6 of these records were in 2022 and 5 were in 2023.

There are 15 records on GBIF, of which 12 are from Inaturalist.
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=1346919&gadm_gid=GBR
The other three records on GBIF are the only three records which are on NBN Atlas.
https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0021164343#overview

Isodontia mexicana in Battersea Park, London, on 10 September 2022 © Clive Freedman, some rights reserved (CC-BY) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/134427963

This chart shows that in 2016 UK observations of G. laticinctus recorded at NBN Atlas became more frequent than observations of G. quadrifasciatus:

There is not much information about these two species online, so I have collected some links.

For differences between the two species, see:

• Identification key for Gorytes: https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/LBB_0034_1_0167-0190.pdf

• https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/71072277
  
  quadrifasciatus yellow band occupying 1/4 of 2nd dorsal plate and face with small yellow patches.
  laticinctus yellow band occupying not less than 1/3 of 2nd dorsal plate and face largely yellow.
  

• G. laticinctus: https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/gorytes-laticinctus
  
  9 to 13mm. This is one of several very similar wasps in the family which require a specimen or excellent macro photos to identify. The first dorsal plate is straight-sided rather than bulged and the yellow on the second dorsal plate occupies not less than 1/3 of its length. The face is largely yellow, extending above the level of the antennal insertions.
  

Other links:

• https://bwars.com/wasp/crabronidae/nyssoninae/gorytes-laticinctus
• https://bwars.com/wasp/crabronidae/nyssoninae/gorytes-quadrifasciatus
• Steven Falk - Crabronidae: https://www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/collections/72157674448896043/
• December 2016 distribution map for Gorytes laticinctus: https://www.facebook.com/146509645514261/photos/this-is-the-map-for-gorytes-laticinctus-this-is-an-uncommon-species-of-solitary-/726818707483349/?paipv=0&eav=AfYIlrXLJPbLuHbdOaIa7a_wFckCFZd85YlIX2tu9o813PCb6vo0vzXyQEymuSqCEb4&_rdr

• United Kingdom observations of Gorytes on Inaturalist:
  -- https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=6857&taxon_id=470611

• NBN Atlas:
  -- G. laticinctus: https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0000876005
  -- G. quadrifasciatus: https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0000876006

• GBIF:
  -- G. laticinctus: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=8997839&year=1995,%2A&gadm_gid=GBR
  -- G. quadrifasciatus: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=4494518&year=1995,%2A&gadm_gid=GBR

Goytes laticinctus in Battersea Park on 17 June 2024 © Clive Freedman, some rights reserved (CC-BY) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/223496475

This is a link to my observations on Inaturalist of organisms (other than plants) which I have seen on or near London Planes (Platanus x hispanica), mostly in Battersea Park:

• https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&q=Plane&user_id=cf125&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Aves,Amphibia,Reptilia,Mammalia,Actinopterygii,Mollusca,Arachnida,Insecta,Fungi,Protozoa,unknown

There are about 50 species.

This link is to other plants growing on or beside London Planes:

• https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&q=Plane&user_id=cf125&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Plantae

Details of the species seen are set out in the following tables, updated on 16 June 2024. Click on "obs" to view my photographs of the observation. Click on the species name to see a Google search for the species. There is a link from the common name to a Google search to https://www.naturespot.org.uk

Species identifications may not be correct, particularly for "Needs ID" observations.

This is a link to my observations on Inaturalist of organisms (other than plants) which I have seen on or near Lime trees (Tilia genus), mostly in Battersea Park:

• https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&q=Tilia&user_id=cf125&verifiable=any&iconic_taxa=Aves,Amphibia,Reptilia,Mammalia,Actinopterygii,Mollusca,Arachnida,Insecta,Fungi,Protozoa,unknown

(A Pyrrhochoris apterus has wrongly crept into this list for reasons which I cannot explain.)

There are about 23 species.

Details of the species seen are set out in the following tables, updated on 16 June 2024. Click on "obs" to view my photographs of the observation. Click on the species name to see a Google search for the species. There is a link from the common name to a Google search to https://www.naturespot.org.uk

Species identifications may not be correct, particularly for "Needs ID" observations.