15 species of aquatic bugs were found in the water bodies. These included a few less common species such as the tiny pond cricket Microvelia reticulata, which lives amongst vegetation at the edges of ponds, and the Water Scorpion Nepa cinerea. The Lesser Backswimmer Plea leachi is a small water bug which used to be very local in Yorkshire but has increased markedly in recent years. The backswimmer Notonecta viridis is also increasing; this large predatory bug is at the northern edge of its range in North Yorkshire and was formerly restricted to coastal sites in our region. A specimen from the Reservoir Pond is one of several recent inland records in the County.
Amongst the lesser water boatmen, Corixa panzeri is a rather local species whilst there are few Yorkshire records for Sigara fossarum. Corixa panzeri is found mainly in larger, deeper ponds whilst Sigara fossarum is more common in southern England.
An interesting record amongst the terrestrial Heteroptera was Polymerus palustris (Sata Pond), a mirid bug associated with marsh bedstraw. This species is scarce in Yorkshire and known only from a few widely scattered wetland sites. |
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Veliidae (water crickets) |
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Microvelia reticulata |
local |
RP, SP |
Hvdrometridae (water measurers) |
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Hydrometra stagnorum |
common |
RP |
Gerridae (pond skaters) |
|
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Gems lacustris |
common |
RP, DP, SP |
Gem's odontogaster |
common |
DP |
Nepidae (water scorpions) |
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Nepa cinerea |
local |
RP |
Pleidae (lesser backswimmers) |
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Plea leachi |
local |
SP, RP, DP |
Notonectidae (backswimmers) |
|
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Notonecta glauca |
common |
SP, DP, RP |
Notonecta viridis |
local |
RP |
Corixidae (lesser water boatmen) |
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|
Corixa panzeri |
local |
RP |
Corixa punctata |
common |
all ponds |
Hesperocorixa sahlbergi |
common |
SP, DP |
Sigara distincta |
common |
RP |
Sigara dorsalis |
common |
RP |
SIgara fallenI |
common |
RP |
Sigara fossarum |
local |
RP |
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RP = Reservoir Pond, RS = reservoir spring, DP = dew pond, SP = Sata Pond |
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