Insects

Considering the vast numbers of insect species that must be present in the area, only a small number are listed here. That is entirely due to my own inexperience. However - as with other aspects of the website - at least some small idea of what may be present is included, enough perhaps to give a "taster" and to encourage others to go out and find whatever is to be found.

During 1994, Colin Plant - then living locally, I believe - recorded some 390 Diptera (fly) species from the City of London Cemetery. These were determined by D.A. Smith, who has kindly allowed the list to be made available HERE. There are some subsequent records from 1995 included. The list is in the form of a .xls document.

Subsequently, local and self-taught naturalist Rose Stephens became interested in the insects to be found near her home in Forest Gate and found numbers of species that I have not seen. These - and a few from other recorders - are appended after my listing.

This list is presented in Natural Order, and all orders of insects listed on this website are accessible from here. Some groups are dealt with more specifically, and these may also be accessed directly from the "Type of Wildlife" list to to the left. Note that Collembola  - Springtails - are not now considered to be insects at all, although they are - as insects are - Arthropods.

 Appended here is a list of species that I have not personally found or seen:top 

Name Order and Family Species Locality and first records
Springtails Collembola    
a springtail Dicyrtomidae Dicyrtomina sp. ? Capel Road garden 20/10/2014
a springtail Entomobryidae Orchesella cincta Manor Park Cemetery 29/11/2014 (Rose Stephens); Capel Road garden 01/03/2015
    
Mayflies Ephemeroptera unknown species Heronry Pond 27/08/2005
Dragonflies    click here Odonata    
Stoneflies and Earwigs Dermaptera    
Common Earwig Forficulidae Forficula auricularia  
Grasshoppers, Crickets, Bush-crickets                click here Orthoptera    
Bugs             click here Hemiptera    
Booklice and  Barklice Psocoptera
   
a booklouse Stenopsocidae Liposcelis bostrychophila ? Capel Road house 06/11/2013
Thrips Thysanoptera unknown species Capel Road garden 23/07/2013
Beetles         click here Coleoptera    
       
Alderflies, Lacewings, etc. Neuroptera    
an alderfly Sialidae Sialis lutaria Wanstead Park, 24/04/2005
a green lacewing Chrysopidae Chrysopa (perla?) 14/05/2014
a green lacewing Chrysopidae Chrysopa sp. Common, 17/06/2005
a scorpion fly Panorpidae Panorpa sp. Wanstead Park, 09/06/2001
Ants and Velvet Ants Hymenoptera - various    
Large Velvet Ant Mutillidae Mutilla europaea Wanstead Park, 13/09/2008
an ant Formicidae Formica cunicularia ? Wanstead Flats 09/04/2010; Sewage Works site 18/06/2015; Capel Road garden 30/06/2016; City of London Cemetery, 11/07/2016; Manor Park Station 14/05/2017; 01/05/2022
Yellow Meadow Ant Formicidae Lasius flavus Sewage Works site 22/03/2016; Wanstead Park; Wanstead Flats
Black Garden Ant Formicidae Lasius niger Capel Road garden, 04/06/2011
Potter Wasps Hymenoptera - Eumenidae    
a potter wasp Eumenidae Ancistrocerus trifasciatus Capel Road garden, 24/05/2015
Wasps Hymenoptera - Apidae
   
Hornet Vespidae Vespa crabro Capel Road garden, 29/08/2006; Wanstead Park, 11/10/2008; also seen in City of London Cemetery
Red Wasp Vespidae Vespula rufa Capel Road garden, 08/05/2011
German Wasp Vespidae Vespula germanica Wanstead Park, near Bullet Hill, 29/09/2009
Common Wasp Vespidae Vespula vulgaris Wanstead Flats, 20/08/2004; Wanstead Park 09/07/2007; Capel Road garden, 29/08/2006
Ruby-tailed Wasp Chrysididae Chrysis ignita Capel Road garden 11/07/2019
a digger wasp Sphecidae Cerceris sp. ? Capel Road garden 28/07/2005
Sand Tailed Digger Wasp Sphecidae Cerceris (arenaria) Wanstead Flats, 14/07/2005
Ornate Tailed Digger Wasp Sphecidae Cerceris rybyensis Wanstead Flats, E. end of Alex. Lake, 17/07/2016
a digger wasp Sphecidae unknown species (possibly Mellinus arvensis) Wanstead Flats, E. end of Alex. Lake, 17/06/2017
Bee Wolf Crabronidae Philanthus triangulum Wanstead Flats 14/07/2005; Capel Road garden 09/07/2007; Wanstead Park, 31/07/2007
Bees             click here Hymenoptera - Apidae    
Wasps Hymenoptera
   
a parasitic wasp Gasteruptiidae Gasteruption jaculator Capel Road garden 18/07/2005
an ichneumon Ichneumonoidae Pimpla hypochondriaca Capel Road garden 16/05/2007
an ichneumon Ichneumonoidae Ichneumon stramentarius City of London Cemetery, 06/04/2015
an ichneumon Ichneumonoidae Netelia sp. (?) Capel Road garden 14/04/2006
an ichneumon Ichneumonoidae Netelia sp. (?) Capel Road garden, 11/03/2012
an ichneumon Ichneumonoidae Amblyteles armatorius (?) Capel Road garden 04/04/2007
Sawflys Symphyta    
Berberis Sawfly Argidae Arge berberidis (?) Capel Road garden 13/05/2006
Bramble Sawfly Argidae Arge cyanocrocea Capel Road garden 06/05/2011
Rose Sawfly Argidae Arge ochropus Capel Road garden 21/08/2006 & annually
Large Rose Sawfly Argidae Arge pagana (?) Capel Road garden 07/06/2007
Honeysuckle Sawfly Cimbicidae Zaraea lonicerae  Capel Road garden, possibly on 02/05/2006;  6/7/8th April 2011
Solomon's Seal Sawfly Tenthredinidae Phymatocera aterrima City of London Cemetery 09/07/2010
Iris Sawfly Tenthredinidae Rhadinoceraea micans Wanstead Park 07/07/2002
Oak Sawfly Tenthredinidae Periclista lineolata Wanstead Park 11/05/2009
Woolly Alder Sawfly Tenthredinidae Eriocampa ovata (?) Wanstead Park 20/09/2005
a sawfly Tenthredinidae Tenthredopsis (litterata) Sewage Works 25/05/2015
Green Sawfly Tenthredinidae Rhogogaster viridis Wanstead Park 21/06/2007
Moths            click here Lepidoptera    
Butterflies    click here Lepidoptera    
Caddis Flies Trichoptera    
a caddis fly Leptoceridae Mystacides azurea Capel Road garden, 19/08/2005
a caddis fly Leptoceridae Mystacides longicornis Capel Road garden, 28/06/2005
a caddis fly Limnephilidae Glyphotaelius pellucidus ? Capel Road garden, 19/08/2005
a caddis fly Limnephilidae Limnephilus affinis ? Capel Road garden, 19/08/2005
a caddis fly Limnephilidae Limnephilus lunatus ? Capel Road garden, 01/07/2013
True Flies Diptera - various    
Spotted Cranefly Tipulidae Nephrotoma appendiculata Wanstead Park, 21/05/2009
a crane-fly Tipulidae Nephrotoma quadrifaria Wanstead Flats, 07/10/2014
a crane-fly Tipulidae Tipula maxima Wanstead Park, 05/08/2011
a crane-fly Tipulidae Tipula (vernalis) City of London Cemetery, 19/05/2010
a crane-fly Tipulidae Tipula (confusa) Wanstead Park, 05/10/2014
a crane-fly Tipulidae Tipula (oleracea) Capel Road garden 18/08/2012
a crane-fly Tipulidae Tipula laterallis Old Sewage Works site, 31/08/2006
a crane-fly Limoniidae Limonia sp. ? Capel Road garden 25/05/2012
a March fly Bibionidae Bibio lanigerus Wanstead Park, 09/04/2015
St. Mark's Fly Bibionidae Bibio marci Wanstead Park 23/04/2005; also on Wanstead Flats
an owl midge Psychodidae unknown species Capel Road garden, 10/10/2014
an owl midge Psychodidae unknown species City of London Cemetery 27/01/2015
an owl midge Psychodidae unknown species Capel Road garden, 29/01/2015
a phantom cranefly Ptychopteridae Ptychoptera contaminata Wanstead Park, 17/05/2011
a phantom cranefly Ptychopteridae Ptychoptera sp. Wanstead Park, 20/07/2013
a non-biting midge Chironomidae Chironomus plumosus Wanstead Park, 07/05/2006
a non-biting midge Chironomidae Chironomus sp. Capel Road garden 14/04/2006
a soldier fly Stratiomyidae Chloromyia formosa Chalet Wood, Wanstead Park, 21/06/2007
a soldier fly Stratiomyidae Sargus bipunctatus ? The Temple, Wanstead Park, 18/09/2005
Bee-fly Bombyliidae Bombylius major Wanstead Park, 05/04/2008; 2009; 2010
horse fly Therevidae Thereva nobilitata ? Wanstead Flats, 04/07/2005
a robber fly Asilidae Dioctria sp.? Capel Road garden 20/06/2007
Semaphore Fly Dolichopodidae Poecilobothrus nobilitatus Capel Road garden, 17/06/2007
Hoverflies       click here Diptera - Syrphidae    
True Flies - continued Diptera - various    
a conopid fly Conopididae Sicus ferrugineus Wanstead Park, 16/06/2007
Womanly Bow Wing Pallopteridae Palloptera (Toxoneura) muliebris Lorne Road garden, Forest Gate, 02/10/2014 (Rose Stephens); Capel Road garden, 25/10/2014
a picture-wing fly Ulidiidae Seioptera vibrans Capel Road garden, 06/06/2018
a picture-wing fly Tephritidae Tephritis sp. Capel Road garden, 22/04/2006
a picture-wing fly Tephritidae Anomoia permunda Capel Road garden, 25/07/2007
a fruit fly Chloropidae Thaumatomyia notata ? Capel Road garden, 02/04/2015
a fruit fly Drosophilidae unknown species Capel Road garden, 23/03/2015
Golden Dung-fly Scathophagidae Scathophaga stercoraria Capel Road garden, 20/04/2011
a house-fly Anthomydiidae Anthomyia pluvialis Wanstead Park, 12/05/2008
Tiger Fly Muscidae Coenosia sp.
Capel Road garden, 09/06/2006
Orange Muscid Fly Muscidae Phaonia (pallida) Capel Road garden 18/03/2015
Bluebottle Calliphoridae Calliphora sp. Capel Road garden, 13/05/2006; Wanstead Park, 21/06/2007
Greenbottle Calliphoridae Lucilia caesar Capel Road garden, 31/08/2000
a flesh fly Sarcophagidae Sarcophaga carnaria Wanstead Park, 29/07/2005; Sewage Works, 02/06/2006; Capel Road garden, 05/06/2006; Wanstead Flats, 07/06/2007
a Tachinid fly Tachinidae Tachina fera ? Capel Road garden, 20/08/2004; Bush Wood, 05/05/2008; Wanstead Park, 01/08/2011
a Tachinid fly Tachinidae unknown species Sewage Works site, 26/06/2005
Name Order and Family Species Locality and first records
Springtails Collembola    
a springtail Dicyrtomidae Dicyrtomina saundersi Manor Park Cemetery 24/01/2016 (Rose Stephens)
a springtail Entomobryidae Entomobrya sp. (multifasciata?) Lorne Road garden 27/02/2015 (Rose Stephens)
a springtail Entomobryidae Orchesella villosa 25/10/2014 (Rose Stephens)
a springtail Tomoceridae Tomocerus longicornis Manor Park Cemetery 25/01/2016 (Rose Stephens)
a springtail Tomoceridae Tomocerus minor Lorne Road garden 17/02/2015 (Rose Stephens)
    
a barklouse Caeciliusidae Valenzuela flavidus Manor Park Cemetery 14/10/2014 (Rose Stephens)
       
Ants and Velvet Ants Hymenoptera - various    
Slender Ant ? Formicidae Leptothorax acervorum Woodcote Road house, 29/11/2014 (Roger Snook)
Wasps Hymenoptera - Apidae
   
a digger wasp Sphecidae Pemphredon inornata Lorne Road E7, 03/03/2016 (Rose Stephens)
an ichneumon Ichneumonoidae Gelis sp. Lorne Road, Forest Gate 12/01/2015 (Rose Stephens)
an ichneumon Ichneumonoidae Dusona sp. 13/05/2014 (Rose Stephens)
an ichneumon Ichneumonoidae Ophion obscura Lorne Road, Forest Gate, 25/10/2014 (Rose Stephens)
True Flies Diptera - various    
a March fly Bibionidae Bibio (johannis ?) Wanstead Flats  11/04/2016 (Rose Stephens)
a winter gnat Trichoceridae Trichocera sp. Lorne Road garden 01/12/2014 (Rose Stephens)
a mosquito Culicidae Culiseta annulata Manor Park Cemetery 29/11/2014 (Rose Stephens)
a biting midge Ceratopogonidae unknown species City of London Cemetery 24/02/2015 (Rose Stephens)
a spear-winged fly Lonchopteridae Lonchoptera (lutea or bifurcata) Manor Park Cemetery, 28/01/2016 (Rose Stephens)
a picture-wing fly Opomyzidae Geomyza tripunctata ? Wanstead Flats 12/04/2016 (Rose Stephens)
a fly Heleomyzidae Suillia variegata Wanstead Flats 11/03/2016 (Rose Stephens)
Spotted-wing Drosophila Drosophilidae Drosophila suzukii St Mary's Wanstead, 07/02/2016 KH/(Rose Stephens)
a fly Ephydridae Discomyza incurva ? East bank of Roding 31/03/2016 (Rose Stephens)

Other Insects

Name Species Locality
For Dragonflies click here Zygoptera  
Grasshoppers and Crickets Orthoptera  
Common Green Grasshopper Omocestulus viridulus Sewage Works 10/08/01
Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus SW; COL cemetery
Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus SW; Wanstead Park
Long-winged Conehead Conocephalus discolor Sewage Works on 10/09/90; Wanstead Flats; Wanstead Park
Oak Bush-cricket Meconema thalassinum Common on Wanstead Flats
Speckled Bush-cricket Leptophyes punctatissima Common around Wanstead Park
Slender Ground -hopper Tetrix subulata In rough vegetation on S. side of Heronry Pond, 24/04/09
Dark Bush Cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera COL; First found in Wanstead Park on 27/06/07
Roesel's Bush-cricket Metrioptera roeselii Common on Flats, in Park and in Sewage Works and COL cemetery
House Cricket Acheta domestica By stables near Sewage Works and in CoL Cemetery. Not heard since 2006
Bugs Hemiptera  
Water Scorpion Nepa cinerea In Heronry Pond
Water Boatman Corix punctata Capel Road garden
Striped Oak Bug Calocoris quadripunctatus Capel Road by Wanstead Flats
a mirid bug Liocoris tripustulatus Capel Road garden
a mirid bug Stenotus binotatus Wanstead Park, 9 June and 27 June 2007
a mirid bug

Dryophilocoris flavoquadrimaculatus

Sewage Works site
a mirid bug Heterotoma planicornis Capel Road garden, 8 July 2007
a mirid bug Plagiognathus arbustorum (?) Capel Road garden
Shield and Brassica Bugs Heteroptera  
Shield Bug Coreus marginatus Capel Road garden, Wanstead Park
Shield Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus (?) City of London Cemetery
Shield Bug Myrmus miriformis Wanstead Park
Tortoise Bug Eurygaster testudinaria Wanstead Flats on 11/05/09
Bishop's Mitre Aelia acuminata Wanstead Park, Sewage Works
Sloe Bug Dolycoris baccarum Wanstead Park, 27 June 2007

Woundwort Shield Bug

Eysarcoris fabricii Common in Capel Road garden
Green Shield-bug Palomena prasina Common - col, gdn, wp

Forest Shield Bug

Pentatoma rufipes Capel Road garden
Brassica Bug Eurydema oleracea Wanstead Flats, 26 April 2007
Hawthorn Bug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale City of London Cemetery
Juniper Bug Elasmostethus tristriatus City of London Cemetery, 16 September 2008
Parent Bug Elasmucha grisea Wanstead Park by OW on Alder, 6 October 2008
Homopteran Bugs Homoptera  
Leafhopper Lassus lanio Common in grassland and gardens

American Leaf Hopper

Graphocephala fennahi Common in City of London Cemetery
Beetles Coleoptera  
Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelopipedus Wanstead Park, 5 July 2003
Devil's coach-horse Ocypus olens On the Plain in Wanstead Park 23/09/01
Darkling Beetle Cylindronotus laevioctostriatus (?) Wanstead Flats on 24 April 2007.
Darkling Beetle Eledona agricola Capel Road garden, 11 June 2006
Summer Chafer Amphimallon solstitiale Wanstead Flats around oaks by Capel Rd.
Click Beetle Athous bicolor (?) Capel Road garden, 12 June 2006
Soldier Beetle Cantharis sp. (poss. figurata) Capel Road garden, 13 June 2006

Soldier Beetle

Cantharis sp. (poss. rustica) Sewage Works site, 2 June 2006

Soldier Beetle

Rhagonycha fulva Wanstead Park

Carpet Beetle

Anthrenus verbasci Capel Road house

Malachite Beetle

Malachius bipustulatus Sewage Works site

Beetle

Endomychus coccineus Wanstead Park
Pine Ladybird Exochomus 4-pustulatus City of London Cemetery - many on 17/03/09
Orange Ladybird Halyzia 16-guttata Capel Road garden

22-Spot Ladybird

Psyllobora 22-punctata Capel Road garden
14-Spot Ladybird Propylea 14-punctata Capel Road garden 10/08/04
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis Vey common everywhere
2-Spot Ladybird Adalia 2-punctata Common

10-Spot Ladybird

Adalia 10-punctata Capel Road garden
7-Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata Common
Water Ladybird Anisosticta 14-punctata The Forest Pond, Gilbert's Slade, 10 May 2008
Mealworm Beetle Tenebrio molitor (?) Capel Road garden

Swollen-thighed Beetle

Oedemera nobilis Frequent in Wanstead Park; also in Capel Road gdn, Green Man Roundabout and elsewhere
Black-headed Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa coccinea Wanstead Park
Common Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis City of London Cemetery, by the Birches, 13/05/08
a longhorn beetle Strangalia (Leptura) maculata Wanstead Park

Wasp Beetle

Clytus arietis Sewage Works
Rosemary Beetle Chrysolina americana On a nettle by Perch Pond, Wanstead Park, 6 October 2008
a flea beetle Altica sp. By the Ornamental Waters, Wanstead Park, 18 May 2006
Vine Weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus Capel Road garden, 12 October 2007
Wasps Hymenoptera - Vespidae  

Hornet

Vespa crabro Frequent in Wanstead Park; also Cemetery
Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris Capel Road garden

a digger wasp

Family Sphecid Wasps Wanstead Flats
a digger wasp Ectemnius sp. Capel Road garden on 9 June 2007; also in Wanstead Park
Bees Hymenoptera - various  

a leaf-cutter Bee

Megachile sp. Capel Road garden, 2000
Honey Bee Apis mellifera City of London Cemetery, 13 January 2008

Red-tailed Bumble Bee

Bombus lapidarius Wanstead Park

White-tailed Bumblebee

Bombus lucorum Wanstead Park; Cemetery

Common Carder Bee

Bombus pascuorum Wanstead Park

Buff-tailed Bumble Bee

Bombus terrestris Wanstead Flats, 19 April 2006
Wasps Hymenoptera - various  

a Parasitic Wasp

Gasteruption jaculator (?) Capel Road garden
an Ichneumon Wasp Amblyteles armatorius (?) Capel Road garden, 4 April 2007

an Ichneumon Wasp

Ophion luteus (?) Capel Road garden
an Ichneumon Wasp Pimpla hypochondriaca Capel Road garden
Sawflys Symphyta  
Iris Sawfly Rhadinoceraea micans Wanstead Park

a sawfly

Abia sericea (?) Capel Road garden
Rose Sawfly Arge orchropus Capel Road garden
a Sawfly Arge pagana (?) Capel Road garden, 7 June 2007

a Sawfly

Rhogogaster viridis Wanstead Park, 21 June 2007
a sawfly unidentified species (?) Capel Road garden
For Moths click here Lepidoptera
 
For Butterflies click here Lepidoptera  
Flies Diptera - various  
a caddis fly Mystacides longicornis Capel Road garden
St. Mark's Fly Bibio marci Common in Wanstead Park and on Wanstead Flats

a non-biting midge

Chironomus plumosus Wanstead Park
a soldier fly Chloromyia formosa Wanstead Park
a soldier fly Sargus bipunctatus (?) The Temple, Wanstead Park
Bee-fly Bombylius sp. Wanstead Park, 5 April 2008

horse fly

poss. Thereva nobilitata Wanstead Flats
a Dolichopod fly Poecilobothrus nobilitatus Capel Road garden
Hoverflies Diptera - Syrphidae  
a Hoverfly Melanostoma scalare gdn?, wp
a Hoverfly Platycheirus clypeatus (?) gdn, wp
a Hoverfly Chrysotoxum bicinctum gdn
a Hoverfly Chrysotoxum verralli sw
a Hoverfly Epistrophe eligans gdn, wf
a Hoverfly Epistrophe nitidicollis (?) gdn
a Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus col, gdn, wp
a Hoverfly Eupeodes luniger gdn, wf
a Hoverfly Meliscaeva auricollis gdn
a Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri gdn, sw? wf, wp?,
a Hoverfly Sphaerophoria rueppillii gdn
a Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta gdn?, wp
a Hoverfly Syrphus ribesii gdn
a Hoverfly Syrphus vitripennis (?) gdn, wp?
a Hoverfly Xanthogramma pedissequum gdn, sw? wp
a Hoverfly Eristalis arbustorum (?) gdn
a Hoverfly Eristalis intricarius wp
a Hoverfly Eristalis pertinax gdn
a Hoverfly Eristalis tenax gdn
a Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus gdn, sw, wp,
a Hoverfly Myathropa florea gdn, sw, wp
a Hoverfly Pipizella viduata gdn
a Hoverfly Volucella inanis gdn, wp?
a Hoverfly Volucella pellucens wp
a Hoverfly Volucella zonaria gdn, wp
a Hoverfly Syritta pipiens gdn
Flies Diptera - various  
a Conopid Fly Sicus ferrugineus Wanstead Park

Bluebottle

Calliphora sp. Capel Road garden, wp

Greenbottle

Lucilia caesar Capel Road garden

a Flesh Fly

Sarcophaga carnaria wp

a Tachinid Fly

possibly Tachina fera wp
a Tachinid Fly unknown species sw
Alderflies,Lacewings, etc. Neuroptera  
an Alderfly

Sialis lutaria

wp
Green Lacewing family Chrysopidae Common
a Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp. wp