Bristol Naturalists' Society

This new publication written by Robert Cropper the County Orthoptera recorder is now available.

It represents 35 years work on Orthoptera, Dictyoptera and Dermaptera distribution in the historic County (V-Cs 5&6). The distributions are shown in tetrads and there are comments on each species. There are colour photographs nearly all taken by the author of most of the species recorded.

A4 format 44 pages 50+ colour photos.

Copies can be obtained by mail priced at £5 plus £2.60 p&p
from 14, Rosewood Close, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset TA8 1HG.
Please make cheques payable to R Cropper.

President: Ray Barnett
0117 942 5655 e-mail: Ray.Barnett@bristol.gov.uk

Hon. Secretary: Tony Smith
0117 965 6566

The West Country has one of the highest concentrations of Mistletoe in the British Isles. Consequently it must have similar concentrations of the handful of species of insect which occur on that plant and that plant alone. If you do get close up to Mistletoe, as well as puckering up the lips, pucker up the eyes and look for the leaf mine caused by the larva of the tortricoid moth Celypha woodiana. In addition Mistletoe supports several sap-sucking true bugs and the ‘kiss me slow weevil’ Ixapion variegatum. Only discovered in the British Isles a couple of year ago, this species which is relatively easy to identify, has not been found in our area yet but could easily be here – you could be first to find it.