Insects
Ladybirds
Fifteen species of ladybird are listed here, plus the False Ladybird, Endomychus coccineus. These are the species that I have noticed to be present in the south of Epping Forest, though I may have overlooked others of course, and making an assumption that I have identified the species correctly.
The False Ladybird Endomychus coccineus does look quite like a ladybird, although it has considerably longer antennae and is also much flatter. I have only seen it once, in Wanstead Park in August 2006.
Another species, Rhyzobius litura, is only 2.5-3mm long, and perhaps not so readily recognised as a ladybird. This, together with its small size, may be why it has been overlooked. I only know of one record of this species, spotted and photographed by Rose Stephens while we were looking at the old sewage works site.
The Pine Ladybird Exochomus 4-pustulatus is - in Essex - fairly common in urban areas and has been seen here in the City of London Cemetery and Wanstead Park. The Orange Ladybird Halyzia 16-guttata has occurred from time to time actually inside my house as well as in the garden at the south edge of Wanstead Flats. The 22-spot Ladybird Psyllobora 22-punctata is frequently found in the garden as well as in the Exchange Lands and in Wanstead Park. The Cream-spot Ladybird Calvia 14-guttata has only been recorded four times: on Wanstead Flats on 14/05/2009, in Wanstead Park on 06/05/2010 and again on 21/04/2015, and in the Sewage Works site on 03/05/2015. The 14-spot Ladybird Propylea 14-punctata although small is brightly and distinctively coloured and is seen quite frequently. The City of London Cemetery, the garden in particular, Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Parks are all areas where it has been noticed, indicating perhaps that it is very common.
The Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis goes under a number of English names; this is the invader that arrived in Britain in 1994 and has spread rapidly since then, now having become one of the most frequently sighted. The harlequin name is given because of the range of colours and patterns that it may exhibit. Suffice to say, it is very common throughout this area.
The 2-spot Ladybird Adalia 2-punctata on the other hand is (was?) one of our two common and native species, the other being the larger 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata. These may still be seen fairly commonly in a variety of locations, and are common in gardens. The 10-spot Ladybird Adalia 10-punctata is much less common, although I have found it in my garden.
Hippodamia variegata (alternatively Adania variegata) is another small creature, measuring some 4-5mm. Locally, it was seen and photographed on Wanstead Flats in October 2014 by Rose Stephens, and subsequently I saw one in the City of London Cemetery on 30th July 2018. I have only seen the 13-spot Ladybird Hippodamia 13-punctata once; this was in the old sewage works site by the edge of the cycle track that runs across "Redbridge Field". This was in 2010 when a small number were feeding on vegetation by the side of a track.
Similarly, the Water Ladybird Anisosticta 14-punctata has only been found once, in the small pond by Forest School, Gilbert's Slade, when Jenny Coverdale found it during a pond-dipping exercise. This was being run at the annual BNA Conference, taking place that day in the school, and it was confidently identified by Professor Michael Majerus, a Cambridge ladybird expert who was at hand!
The 16-spot Ladybird Tytthaspis 16-punctata is a tiny creature of some 3mm, which I first saw in my garden in Capel Road in May 2006. Careful searching of the ant-hills on the Plain in Wanstead Park has produced other specimens, and more have been found in the old Sewage Works site. The first 24-spot Ladybird Subcoccinella 24-punctata, was recorded in March 2012, seen walking across the sandy track adjacent to Alexandra Lake. since then, numbers have been seen in the Aldersbrook Exchange Lands, particularly on and under felts put out for reptile studies.
The list below includes dates of the first known records for the Wanstead Wildlife area.
| Name | Species | Locality |
| False Ladybird | Endomychus coccineus | Wanstead Park, 30/08/2006 |
| a ladybird | Rhyzobius litura | Sewage Works site, 11/03/2015 |
| Pine Ladybird | Exochomus 4-pustulatus | City of London Cemetery, 15/03/2008, many on 17/03/2009; Wanstead Park, only on 06/06/2008. |
| Orange Ladybird | Halyzia 16-guttata | Capel Road garden, 06/09/2004; Wanstead Park, 27/02/2014; City of London Cemetery, 05/03/2014 |
| 22-Spot Ladybird | Psyllobora 22-punctata | Capel Road garden, 11/05/2006; Wanstead Park, 31/07/2008; Sewage Works site, 10/07/2011 |
| Cream-spot Ladybird | Calvia 14-punctata | Wanstead Flats, 14/05/2009; Wanstead Park, 06/05/2010 and 21/04/2015; Sewage Works site, 03/05/2015 |
| 14-Spot Ladybird | Propylea 14-punctata | Capel Road garden, 10/08/2004; Wanstead Park, 07/05/2006; Wanstead Flats, 24/07/2007; Sewage Works site, 22/05/2012; Alders Brook area, 17/06/2015 |
| Harlequin Ladybird | Harmonia axyridis | City of London Cemetery, 09/10/2005; Capel Road garden, 05/04/2006; Wanstead Flats, 27/05/2006; Wanstead Park, 27/07/2007; City of London Cemetery, 18/06/2008 |
| 2-Spot Ladybird | Adalia 2-punctata | Capel Road garden, 23/05/2012 |
| 10-Spot Ladybird | Adalia 10-punctata | Capel Road garden, 22/04/2005; Wanstead Park, 31/05/2011; City of London Cemetery, 08/08/2016 |
| 7-Spot Ladybird | Coccinella 7-punctata | Tarsy Wood, Wanstead 12/02/2005; City of London Cemetery, 27/10/2005; Capel Road garden, 21/04/2006; Sewage Works site, 23/05/2006; Wanstead Flats, 25/05/2006; Bush Wood, 23/02/2007; Wanstead Park, 25/04/2011 |
| Adonis Ladybird | Hippodamia (Adonia) variegata | City of London Cemetery, on old shoot area, 30/07/2018. Also found once on Wanstead Flats on 14/10/2014 by Rose Stephens |
| 13-Spot Ladybird | Hippodamia 13-punctata | Old Sewage Works site (Aldersbrook Exchange Lands) on 12/06/2010 |
| Water Ladybird | Anisosticta 14-punctata | By the Forest Pond, Gilbert's Slade, 10/05/2008 |
| 16-spot Ladybird |
Tytthaspis 16-punctata | Capel Road garden, 07/05/2006; Wanstead Park, on the Plain, 06/06/2008; Sewage Works site, 10/03/2015 |
| 24-spot Ladybird | Subcoccinella 24-punctata | Wanstead Flats, on sandhills by Alexandra Lake, 30/03/2012. Many in Old Sewage Works site (Aldersbrook Exchange Lands) on 22/03/2016. |
Moths and Butterflies - Historical Records
Here are some historical records which relate to the Wanstead area...
THE MACRO-LEPIDOPTERA OF EPPING FOREST IN JULY. (1883)
By Arthur J. Rose. The Entomologist
Author: British Trust for Entomology; Royal Entomological Society of London
Volume: v. 16 1883
(P164) "A trip to Wanstead Flats about the middle of the month would ensure Hadena pisi ; Hepialus sylvinus, and its congener H. hectas can be taken, hovering over the ferns, in any quantity in all open parts. The larvae of Euchlidia mi may also be found in plenty in that direction."
(Hadena pisi is now Melanchra pisi the Broom Moth and the two Hepialus species are the Orange Swift and the Gold Swift respectively The reference to "hovering over the ferns" would not be apt now as there are few ferns (probably relating to bracken) on Wanstead Flats nowadays. Broom, on the other hand, is plentiful - though as yet of these only one Orange Swift has been recorded locally, in a garden on the Lakehouse Estate. Euclidia mi is now Callistege mi - Mother Shipton - which has been found on Wanstead Flats (certainly in 2008) and other areas locally.)
TORTRICES AND TINEINA BRED AND CAPTURED IN 1883.
By George Elisha. The Entomologist
Author: British Trust for Entomology; Royal Entomological Society of London
Volume: v. 16 1883
(P245) "At Wanstead I found the larvae of C. hemerohiella on white-thorn, C. gryphypiennella on rose, C. genistcecolella and G. albi-palpella on Genista anglica, and G. mouffetella in shoots of honey-suckle ; also imagines of (T). emortuella, Ypsolojohus alpella, Laverna stephensiella , G. lucidella, and many others on oak trunks"
THE LEPIDOPTERA OF ESSEX.
By Edward A Fisch ; December 2nd , 1890. Essex Naturalist
Author: Essex Field Club
Volume: 5 January-December 1891
(P154) "Vanessa cardui was rare as a garden insect. I did not see more than two or three at Leyton, the only Essex specimens taken between 1868 and 1874 having been captured in the plantations on the Forest near the Wanstead Orphan Asylum."
(Vanessa cardui is the Painted Lady butterfly, which as a migrant species is sporadic in its appearence. It has been recorded in the area on numerous occasions, however. Wanstead Orphanage Asylum is now Snaresbrook Crown Court)
GELECHIA VELOCELLA AT WANSTEAD.
By A. Thurnall ; August 1st, 1913. The Entomologist
Author: British Trust for Entomology; Royal Entomological Society of London
Volume: v. 46 1913
(P269) " Until Wednesday last I had never met with more than five or six specimens of this local moth, but on this occasion, when crossing a dry piece of meadow land, I noticed the second brood in abundance amongst the dried-up stems of its food-plant [Rumex acetosclla). I managed, after many attempts, to box a couple for verification. This is the most active member of the genus with which I am acquainted. Duponchel certainly gave it a most appropriate name !"
(This is Aroga velocella, not identified in the area in recent times, though its food-plant Sheep's Sorrell is certainly common enough.)
ENTOMOLOGIST'S RECORD, VOL. 1 08 1 5 .xi. 1996
The Entomologist's record and journal of variation (1890)
Author: Tutt, James William, 1858-1911, ed
Volume: v.108 (1996)
(P294) Notes on the larvae of Nola cucullatella L., 1758 (Lep.: Nolidae) on Wanstead Flats, east London
Between 2. v. 1996 and 13. v. 1996, Crataegus bushes were beaten for Lepidoptera larvae, the most frequent species being N. cucullatella. The sixteen bushes beaten yielded no less than 54 larvae, with 13 being the maximum number noted on a single plant. The majority of the larvae were in 3rd instar.
Despite the abnormally cool weather in May, 1.8°C below average (deviation from 1961-1990 norms. Meteorological Office, London), a return visit to the area for the same purpose on 27.V.1996, yielded one larva of this Nolid species, out of the four Crataegus bushes beaten. The probability that all larvae had pupated, was evidenced by another individual larva being beaten from hawthorn, out of ten bushes, visited at Stratford cycle track, 29.V.1996. Assuming that the moth was also found at the same density in Stratford as on Wanstead Flats over the month of May, the larvae must have developed quickly despite the weather conditions, as an initial survey of the hawthorn in Stratford on 26. v. 1996, yielded no larvae of any Macrolepidopteran.
Revell (1983, Nolidae in The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, eds. Heath, J. & Emmet, A.M., Harley Books, Essex) describes the larvae of N. cucullatella as awakening from hibernation in early to mid-April, with pupation occurring in early June.
Gareth E. King, 25d Windsor Road, London E7 OQX
(This is the Short-cloaked Moth, which has been found on a few occasions in the moth traps at Capel Road and on the Lakehouse estate.)
Author: British Trust for Entomology; Royal Entomological Society of London
Volume: v. 16 1883
(P161) THE MACRO-LEPIDOPTERA OF EPPING FOREST IN JULY.
By Arthur J. Rose.
(P164) A trip to Wanstead Flats about the middle of the month would ensure Hadena pisi ; Hepialus sylvinus, and its congener H. hectas can be taken, hovering over the ferns, in any quantity in all open parts. The larvae of Euchlidia mi may also be found in plenty in that direction.
(P243) TORTRICES AND TINEINA BRED AND CAPTURED IN 1883.
By George Elisha.
(P245) At Wanstead I found the larvae of C. hemerohiella on white-thorn, C. gryphypiennella on rose, C. genistcecolella and G. albi-palpella on Genista anglica, and G. mouffetella in shoots of honey-suckle ; also imagines of 8. emortuella, Ypsolojohus alpella, Laverna stephensiella , G. lucidella, and many others on oak trunks.