Clytiomya continua and other important new Diptera: Tachinidae records
Ordnance Site (Osier Marsh: TQ3798), one female in traps set between 4til and 18th July, one male
in traps set between 4th and 18th August and one further male collected on 18th August.
Tachina grossa is a very large bristly black parasitic fly. most frequently seen in northern and
western districts. It is most likely to parasitise the caterpillars of large moths e.g. Eggar Moths. One
individual was collected at Vange Heights (TQ7187) on 23rd July 2003 foraging on hardhead
flowers in a small sheltered grassland area north of the southern slope and main east-west track at
the site. This appears to be the first record for Essex.
Acknowledgements
The first author is very grateful to Tim Hill and the Lee Valley Regional Authority for access to the
Former Royal Ordnance Site for the purpose of invertebrate survey and to Basildon Countryside
Services for enabling invertebrate survey to be undertaken at Queens Park, Billericay and Vange
Heights. All identifications were made or confirmed by the second author.
References
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Postscript: new records have been made of Catharosia pygmaea, Clytiomya continua and
Litophasia hyalipennis in 2004. Details will be published in next year's Essex Naturalist
54
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 21 (2004)