William Allport Leighton

Wednesday 25th September 2021, Longden Road Cemetery, Shrewsbury

Our visit to Longden Road Cemetery was the final survey of five churchyards that we had carried out on behalf of Caring for God’s Acre.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

The first issue that faced us as we arrived was where to park! We used the area behind the chapel but this was made more complicated by the fact that there were several cars there already. However with some smart manoeuvring and a bit of double parking, ensuring only members of the group were blocked in, we were all accommodated.

For this outing we were joined by half a dozen Friends of the cemetery who were interested in what we were up to. And looking around the site we could see other Friends busy at work clearing unwanted saplings and scything the grass. No wonder parking was a problem.

Eventually everyone was ready and we started to wander about the site to do what we normally do. Whilst most of us moved off in the same general direction our trio of lichenologists headed off in another clearly with a specific plan in mind. They were not seen again until lunchtime.

A couple of shield bugs were early discoveries.

A Hawthorn shieldbug nymph:

Photograph: David Williams

And a Sloe bug (also known as a Hairy shieldbug).

Photograph: Stephen Mitchell

We spent most of the morning in the old part of the cemetery in which the vegetation is allowed to grow, with minimal intervention to keep the site from succeeding to scrub then woodland. 

It was heart warming to find signs such as this as we moved about the site.

The grass is cut, but by human endeavour rather than mechanical means.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

There were plenty of hoverflies amongst the morning’s findings. These attractive and photogenic insects are, more importantly, good pollinators.

A pair of Helophilus pendulus trying to ensure the survival of the species;

Photograph: Jim Almond

A smaller species which is very common, Platycheirus albimanus;

Photograph: Jim Almond

Another common species that can be seen all year round, Eristalis tenax;

Photograph: Stephen Mitchell

Another smaller species, Syritta pipiens;

Photograph: Jim Almond

Back amongst the larger hoverflies, Myathropa florea;

Photograph: John Martin

And finally one that is new to me, Didea fasciata.

Photograph: Jim Almond

We did not spend all morning looking for hoverflies! Their attractiveness draws the camera lens towards them. There were plenty of other photogenic insects that were recorded and photographed.

A Holly blue butterfly larva beaten from holly;

Photograph: David Williams

A 2-spot ladybird;

Photograph: David Williams

And a Green shieldbug photographed from an unusual angle.

Photograph: David Williams

A ladybird was beaten from Ivy. Not one of the larger well known ones but from a group known as “inconspicuous ladybirds”. 

Why inconspicuous?

Because they are small and easy to miss compared to their larger relations. This one, Nephus quadrimaculatus, is about 2mm in length.

Photograph: David Williams

Oak trees are excellent hosts for invertebrates and spending time seeing what they harbour can be very rewarding. However most need teasing out by beating or sweeping. Galls, on the other hand can be found by just examining the branches, acorns and leaves. Here are a couple of leaves with lots of silk-button and spangle galls on their underside.

The silk-button galls (the doughnut shaped galls) are caused by the gall wasp Neuroterus numismalis and the spangle galls (the flying saucer shaped galls) are caused by a different gall wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum. 

Lunch was taken.

It is amazing how when one person in the group decides it is lunchtime it influences everyone else. No matter how dispersed we are the message seems to get to the rest by telepathy and we all gather to partake of our picnics within a few minutes.

Even the lichenologists returned from I know not where.

Where had they been?

It transpires that they had decided to look for the grave of William Allport Leighton. He was born in Shrewsbury and attended the same school as Charles Darwin. Although his junior Darwin triggered Leighton’s interest in botany. This interest led to the publication of A Flora of Shropshire in 1841. 
Leighton’s interests extended to the study of lichens which resulted in the publication of Lichen Flora of Great Britain in 1871.

Our lichenologists’ plan had been to find the grave and study any lichens that may have grown on it.

Had they found it?

No.

But they had found the grave of the local novelist and poet Mary Webb.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Over lunch we were joined by a gentleman. I missed the introduction but it appears that he was in charge of the cemetery as part of his job. He offered to check the records to find the location of the grave. 

Lunch over we continued our searching.

But before I go any further it is time for a weevil. I am not sure when this was found. It is Diplapion stolidum.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Not far from the lunch spot we found a Denticulate leatherbug.

Photograph: David Williams

This was closely followed by another of the larger hemiptera, a Bishop’s Mitre shieldbug.

Photograph: David Williams

A moth that is often found out and about at this time of the year is the distinctively marked Angle shades.

Photograph: Jim Almond

We came across a Rhododendron and there were several planthoppers, Graphocephala fennahi, sunning themselves on the leaves.

Photograph: Jim Almond

This is one of our largest and probably the most garish of our planthoppers. The adults and nymphs both feed on the sap of Rhododendron. Considering the amount of this plant there is in the countryside it is surprising that we do not find it more often than we do.

A harvestman was found, Opilio canestrinii.

Photograph: David Williams

Closer inspection reveals another insect hanging on to one of the harvestman’s legs. It is a pseudoscorpion which often move around by hitching a lift off another invertebrate. This pseudoscorpion is the species Pselaphochernes dubius.

Other finds during our post-lunch wanderings were:

An Ectemnius wasp, possibly Ectemnius continuus;

Photograph: Stephen Mitchell

A Southern hawker dragonfly;

Photograph: Jim Almond

An Ivy bee;

Photograph: Jim Almond

And a Field grasshopper.

Photograph: Jim Almond

It was nearing time to go home and a straight path back to where we had parked the cars lay ahead.

We took it - but with a little deviation.

Two of our lichenologists had already taken their leave but one remained.

We knew he had not sneaked off as his car was still there, but where was he?

A search party of one was sent out.

No sooner was the searcher out of sight than our “lost” lichenologist came into view (shortly followed by the searcher, thankfully).

Where had he been?

It turned out that the gentleman in charge of the cemetery had returned and told him where the grave of Mr Leighton was located. He went to find it.

And he did find it.

There was, disappointingly, no lichen on the grave and it had become overgrown by the vegetation.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

I am not sure if the deceased would have been pleased that vegetation had sprung up all round his grave or disappointed by the lack of lichens.

My thanks to Caring for God’s Acre for arranging the outing and the Friends for joining us on the day. My immense gratitude to the photographers for allowing me to use their photographs to illuminate the text.

Keep well.