WHERE ARE SUFFOLK'S
EARWIGS?
E . MILNE-REDHEAD
It is stränge h o w s o m e very c o m m o n c r e a t u r e s are still u n d e r - r e c o r d e d . W h e n t h e BSBI started its M a p p i n g S c h e m e , the r e c o r d i n g c a r d s issued to its m e m b e r s c o n t a i n e d t h e very c o m m o n plants as well as the less c o m m o n , local and r a r e plants, so the m a p s in Perring & W a l t e r s (1962) of c o m m o n weeds such as Capsella bursa-pastoris ( S h e p h e r d ' s Purse) and Bellis perennis (Daisy) show very few squares w h e r e they had not been r e c o r d e d . S o m e g r o u p s of insects have b e e n well r e c o r d e d , but o t h e r s , especially t h o s e t h a t are u n a t t r a c t i v e , have b e e n neglected. O n looking t h r o u g h that excellent b o o k , Marshall & H a e s (1988), I noticed that Forficula auricularia ( C o m m o n E a r w i g ) had b e e n very u n d e r - r e c o r d e d in many p a r t s of E n g l a n d and W a l e s , and that it a p p e a r e d to be missing f r o m most of Suffolk! It has b e e n r e c o r d e d f r o m five 10km s q u a r e s in West Suffolk, T L (52) 7 4 , 7 5 , 8 3 , 84, 93, a n d f r o m only t h r e e in E a s t Suffolk, T M (62) 3 5 , 3 9 , 4 3 ! I h a v e , at t h e time of writing, a d d e d T L 78 and T M 24 since t h e b o o k c a m e o u t , so t h e r e a r e 13 10km Square r e c o r d s n e e d e d for W e s t Suffolk and 25 for E a s t Suffolk. R e c o r d s should be a c c o m p a n i e d by six-figure grid r e f e r e n c e s , and the h a b i t a t , d a t e of recording and n a m e of the r e c o r d e r should b e s t a t e d , and sent to t h e Biological R e c o r d s C e n t r e , T h e M u s e u m , High S t r e e t , Ipswich, IP13QH. If a n y o n e finds Labia minor (Lesser E a r w i g ) , it would be as well to submit a s p e c i m e n t o t h e B R C at Ipswich, as i m m a t u r e C o m m o n Earwigs can be m i s t a k e n f o r it. References M a r s h a l l , J. A . & H a e s , G . C. W . (1988). Grasshoppers and Allied Insects of Great Britain and Ireland, pp. 137 and 186, m a p 42. H a r l e y B o o k s , Colchester. P e r r i n g , F. H . & W a l t e r s , S. M. (1962). Atlas ofthe British Flora, pp. 40 and 281. N e l s o n , L o n d o n . E. Milne-Redhead, Parkers, 43 B e a r S t r e e t , Nayland, S u f f o l k , C06 4 H X
Trans. Suffolk
Nat. Soc. 25