[Syrphidae] A hoverfly dearth?

Leon Truscott syrphidae@nottingham.ac.uk
Sat, 17 Jan 2004 08:54:23 -0000


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Hello Beverlet

There was definitely a dearth of hoverflies in Cornwall in 2003. This =
was particularly marked from July onwards and possibly due due the =
larval feeding restrictions you suggested.

On a sunny 3rd Aug 2003, on a "hoverfly field meeting" at a local nature =
reserve (a normally good site), we only found 9 (nine) different =
species!

Leon.
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: BJBasquil@aol.com=20
  To: syrphidae@nottingham.ac.uk=20
  Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2004 5:10 AM
  Subject: [Syrphidae] A hoverfly dearth?


  Dear All,=20

  I have been collecting hoverflies in Malaise traps as part of my =
undergraduate project and have now identified those I have collected. =
Due to the time constraints on this type of project, the collection =
period was only from late August to mid-November and the numbers I =
collected were very poor. I can partly attribute this to the quality of =
habitat I chose at the nature reserve I used but wondered if there was =
any connection with the unusually hot weather we had this year. Could =
there have been feeding restrictions for phytophagous larvae? Has anyone =
else noticed a dearth in hoverflies this year? In spite of the shortage =
of actual numbers I have, I think, a few interesting results and a =
record now for one species that according to the literature was =
previously restricted to another area. Perhaps, once I have had =
identification confirmed my results may be of interest. I intend to use =
Syrph the Net together with other sources to identify hoverfly =
ecological attributes and to determine which, if any, determine hoverfly =
guild structure. Due to the paucity of my actual data I will also be =
analysing data collected as part of a previous PhD thesis at a =
neighbouring site.

  Kind regards,

  Beverley Basquil

  Oxford Brookes University
  Environmental Biology


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello Beverlet</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There was definitely a dearth of =
hoverflies in=20
Cornwall in 2003. This was particularly marked from July onwards and =
possibly=20
due due the larval feeding restrictions you suggested.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>On a sunny 3rd Aug 2003, on a "hoverfly =
field=20
meeting" at a local nature reserve (a normally good site), we only =
found&nbsp;9=20
(nine) different species!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Leon.</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3DBJBasquil@aol.com=20
  href=3D"mailto:BJBasquil@aol.com">BJBasquil@aol.com</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dsyrphidae@nottingham.ac.uk=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:syrphidae@nottingham.ac.uk">syrphidae@nottingham.ac.uk</A>=
 </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, January 17, =
2004 5:10=20
  AM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Syrphidae] A hoverfly =

  dearth?</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT lang=3D0 =
face=3D"Century Gothic"=20
  color=3D#8000ff size=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" PTSIZE=3D"10">Dear All, =
<BR><BR>I have=20
  been collecting hoverflies in Malaise traps as part of my =
undergraduate=20
  project and have now identified those I have collected. Due to the =
time=20
  constraints on this type of project, the collection period was only =
from late=20
  August to mid-November and the numbers I collected were very poor. I =
can=20
  partly attribute this to the quality of habitat I chose at the nature =
reserve=20
  I used but wondered if there was any connection with the unusually hot =
weather=20
  we had this year. Could there have been feeding restrictions for =
phytophagous=20
  larvae? Has anyone else noticed a dearth in hoverflies this year? In =
spite of=20
  the shortage of actual numbers I have, I think, a few interesting =
results and=20
  a record now for one species that according to the literature was =
previously=20
  restricted to another area. Perhaps, once I have had identification =
confirmed=20
  my results may be of interest. I intend to use Syrph the Net together =
with=20
  other sources to identify hoverfly ecological attributes and to =
determine=20
  which, if any, determine hoverfly guild structure. Due to the paucity =
of my=20
  actual data I will also be analysing data collected as part of a =
previous PhD=20
  thesis at a neighbouring site.<BR><BR>Kind regards,<BR><BR>Beverley=20
  Basquil<BR><BR>Oxford Brookes University<BR>Environmental=20
Biology<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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