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Black-headed Cardinal Beetle With Image

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 1:11 pm
by wirralbirder
Black-headed Cardinal Beetle With Image:

Hi All,

I would like confirmation of this Black-headed Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea) seen at Burton Mere Wetlands May 26th 2014.

I would like any information as to its distribution in Cheshire and whether or not it has been found at the above site. I found P.coccinea at Irby Quarry in 2003 and was told at the time that it was a scarce species then.

P.serraticornis I am well acquainted with.

Cheers
H.Davies

Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea) ???<br />Burton Mere Wetlands May 26th 2014
Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea) ???
Burton Mere Wetlands May 26th 2014
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Re: Black-headed Cardinal Beetle With Image

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 3:52 pm
by SteveMcBill
Well done Harry - yes, definitely Pyrochroa coccinea !!

Currently there are only 5 records for P.coccinea on the database with the last record being in 2011 at Chester Approach Wood, and the first record in 1988 at Bulkeley Hill. All the records currently held are clustered around mid to south West Cheshire with none from the Wirral. As far as I can see your record from Irby Quarry is not currently on the database at all; it would be great if you could enter it and this new record from Burton Wetlands into RODIS.

I had P.serraticornis at Pickerings Pasture, Halebank, Widnes a couple of days ago but it has been many years since I have seen P.coccinea.

Cheers,
Steve


Re: Black-headed Cardinal Beetle With Image

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 4:12 pm
by DonSten
Hello Mr Davies (Harry?)

It is indeed the Black Headed Cardinal beetle Pyrochroa coccinea, which is currently Nationally Notable B.

There are five Cheshire records listed in the RECORD database, but I don't think any are from Burton.
I do know at least two are not on the database, including your Ince record, and another from the River Weaver woodland. Nationally there are approx 1,000 records.

Regards,
Don


Re: Black-headed Cardinal Beetle With Image

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 4:14 pm
by DonSten
Didn't realise Steve was posting a reply - checked five minutes ago and there wasn't one.

Don


Re: Black-headed Cardinal Beetle With Image

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 4:43 pm
by SteveMcBill
No problems as far as I am concerned Don mate - in fact I am glad to see confirmation of the information.

Cheers,
Steve


Re: Black-headed Cardinal Beetle With Image

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 10:18 pm
by wirralbirder
Hi Don and Steve,

Thanks very much for your informative replies. Just to complete my records on both species of Pyrochroa see below:

P.coccinea - Irby Quarry May 31st 2003.
P.serraticornis - Upton SJ255883 June 02nd 2005.
P.serraticornis - Shotwick SJ336716 Green Lane West May 25th 2013.

Cheers,
Harry


Re: Black-headed Cardinal Beetle With Image

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 10:26 pm
by SteveMcBill
Do you have Grid Refs for the Irby Quarry and for the Burton Wetlands records please Harry ??

Cheers,
Steve


Re: Black-headed Cardinal Beetle With Image

Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 11:43 am
by wirralbirder
Hi Steve,

Grid Refs for the following:

P.coccinea - Irby Quarry, SJ251858, May 31st 2003
P.coccinea - Burton Mere Wetlands, SJ314734, May 26th 2014

Also one I missed out:

P.serraticornis - Burton Mere Wetlands, SJ310736, May 17th 2014

Cheers,
Harry


Re: Black-headed Cardinal Beetle With Image

Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 11:58 am
by SteveMcBill
Thanks Harry - much appreciated ! Really good to see nice, accurate 6 figure Grid Refs. Must admit using RODIS I am now using 8-fig refs as they are easy to get by zooming into the digital map. Some areas (e.g. Stockport) even allow you to zoom in to 10-figure Grid Refs so you can easily specify individual trees etc. to help future naturalists find exactly the same place.

Cheers.
Steve


Re: Black-headed Cardinal Beetle With Image

Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 10:57 am
by raima55
Thanks for these records Steve.

Ironically, I have not done much fieldwork this year (2014), so have not seen many A.alni, but it was very busy at Marbury a few weeks ago and curiously enough, some trees had very large numbers of adults and larvae next to others that had not been attacked.

I shall try to get some records of them pre hibernation.

Cheers,
Don