One problem I have is that we do not have any “target” species that this year that can form the focus of the report other than long-horn beetles, which are considerably harder to find than shieldbugs, apart from Grammoptera ruficornis which is frequently encountered on flowering hawthorn. Rather like shieldbugs they tend to find you but are considerably shyer. Apart from the aforementioned beetle the only time you may happen across them consistently is when Hogweed is in full flower and the weather is sunny (my observation not a recorded fact).
So here goes – back to basics.
Ah! But first I must issue a written apology to the person known as the “Great Stick Finder”. Some of you may remember that during our visit last year to Shawbury Heath he caught and found an Agapanthia villosoviridescens, a stunning long horn beetle with extremely long pale and dark banded antennae.
Unfortunately the specimen had been damaged and lacked its antennae and one of its front legs. Needless to say he received much abuse about his lack of skills. Protestations that he found it like that were ignored by all. He recently sent me this photograph to prove that his skills are top notch. Regrettably this is not a Shropshire record but one from Lakenheath. So, I apologise on behalf of the group for casting aspersions about his skills.
Reminder to self: Back to basics. (But I have mentioned and included pictures of two invertebrates.)
Wednesday 4th June
There were two trips this week. The first was a joint venture with Invertebrate Challenge to Rea Brook Valley Nature Reserve to continue to build the species database for this site. Due to a variety of excuses – attending a course; setting up pitfall traps in the Wyre Forest; decorating; working and so forth there were only two of us who joined three others from Invertebrate Challenge. As both of us are in fact students of Invertebrate Challenge it could be argued that none of our usual group joined the five from Invertebrate Challenge, but let’s leave it as the two joined the three.
We started from Sainsbury’s car park off Whitecroft Road and followed the path of the Rea Brook around the loop that enclosed the aptly named Reabrook estate. The weather was grey and threatening when we set off. We inspected the vegetation at the side of the path and found Nephrotoma quadrifaria, a black and yellow cranefly with distinctive markings on its wings. Note the kink in its abdomen – I would like to say it was like that before I netted it but I do not think it was - no doubt my skills will now be called into question.
We then found a pair of Woundwort shieldbugs busy making more Woundwort shieldbugs. They were quite content on top of a woundwort leaf whilst voyeuristic entomologists watched them but as soon as a camera appeared they disappeared into the gloom under the leaf. This is the best photograph I could get in the circumstances.
It started raining. This was not a surprise. The weather forecast for the day was quite clear. “If it’s raining already it will continue, if it’s not it will start”. And start it did. We sought shelter under trees.
Perhaps the forecast was wrong as it stopped and insects started moving and flying about. Nets swept, vegetation was beaten and records made. We moved on still following the course of the river, found a bench and had lunch.
As we were lunching we observed a large cloud that was darker than the rest. We studied its movement for some time. Would it miss us?
It didn’t. We got very wet. But insects were still about. Although the rain curtailed our day we had a couple of late successes - a Bordered shieldbug beaten from a mixture of Cleavers and Ivy and a female Goosander with eight (we think) ducklings.
We returned to the cars with a spring in our step then headed home to dry out.
Friday 6th June
Our second outing was to Greenfields SWT Reserve in Whitchurch. Five of us met in the car park off “Chemistry”, a rather curious name for a road – does anyone know how this name came about? It was a glorious day. We were faced with a walk to the site.
We set off with resolve – get to the site, get to the site ...! As we walked along the path through an area of long grass Vacuum man cracked “I could just give this grass a quick going over”. Our resolve weakened and we paused as the roar of the garden vac competed with a nearby petrol driven mower. Some of the group (not me) were rewarded with the sight of a Kingfisher as it flashed across our line of sight.
As we inspected the catch from the vacuum machine we were joined by a young boy, his mother and dog. After a brief conversation the young lad dashed off. We carried on. The boy returned several minutes later clutching a bug – his first record – a Common damsel bug Nabis rugosus. The boy, his mother and dog went their way we continued towards the reserve.
More distractions – nettles and trees at the side of the road. And it was a good decision to inspect them as we found the largest cranefly in the land – Tipula maxima.
Still distracted by the nettles, trees and nearby long grass and still 100m (110 yards for us oldies) from the start of the reserve we met up again with the young boy, mother and dog who had completed the circuit we were undertaking but in the opposite direction. This time the lad was carrying (carefully) a huge caterpillar – a Drinker moth. This was his second record. Let us hope that we may have planted a seed of interest for his later years.
We made it, yes, we actually got there. We entered the reserve. After a brief flurry of looking, beating sweeping and vacuuming we had a coffee break. Well as many of you know I do not do coffee breaks I do early lunch. So I ate whist others stoically stuck to coffee (or other drink) and a mid-morning (at 11.45am?) snack.
The site is not large but we took nearly four hours to traverse its length of 400m (440yards) or so. It was a mixture of grassland, wetland, a small pool and hillside woodland bordered by a narrow stream (that was fenced off) where Water voles are reported to be present. (We did not see or hear any.)
An early success in the site was a Wasp beetle Clytus arietis – one of the target species group – which was happily enjoying the sun until we came along to disrupt its enjoyment.
There was also the curious sight of a bug nymph (Leptopterna sp.) apparently attempting to eat a slug. You can just make out its rostrum which looks as though it is penetrating the skin of the host. Looking at it more closely and seeing a harvestman and a Staphylinid beetle also hitching a lift I suspect that all three were exploring what appears to be the slug’s old skin. (Do slugs cast off their skins as they grow?).
At the pool we saw three species of damsel flies (Common blue, Blue-tailed and Large red), hundreds of froglets hopping about, many still with tails, Sloe bug and the highlight of the day (for me as Bug man) the Red Data Book hopper Paraliburnia clypealis (sorry no photograph) a species normally found in the east of the country (so I will need to get the identification confirmed).
Oh yes, it rained, briefly.
From the pool the footpath took us through the woodland where we encountered the moth with the extremely long antennae Nemophora degeerella. You can just about make out the antennae in the photograph – but if you cannot they end in the top and bottom left-hand corners.
Another inhabitant of the wood was a 10-spot ladybird in its red-spot on black background form decempustulatus. I apologise to those present as hastily and incorrectly identifying it as a 14-spot. On checking the photograph it is clear that it is a 10-spot.
We were rewarded for our efforts with a seat at the top of the hill. We paused to take in the view and to reflect on how tiring walking about one mile (1.6km) could be! Our return journey took us along the canal towpath. More opportunity for delay and records. But it was not to be. The towpath verge was extremely and disappointingly well-manicured, not what the entomologist wants to see, so we were not distracted.
Well not quite as out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a blue tit disappear into a wall. I was not mistaken, it had nested in there. The wall was talking as from within came the begging calls of the chicks. A good end to the day.
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