New habitat choice?

Wednesday 6th March, Hawkstone Park Follies

It was a grey misty morning when we gathered at the visitor centre for our visit to the Hawkstone Park Follies. 

As it is such a large site a quick discussion was held to see which part we should head for. The “Grand Valley”, which is a strip of grassland between steep wooded slopes, was the majority request. This saved me from having to make a decision only for everyone else to go somewhere different.

During the day we found one species new to Shropshire, another that may be a first record, and had a very pleasant surprise.

The new species: a lesser dung fly Crumomyia notabilis.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

Described by the finder as a “really nice fly” (be he seems find all small flies "really nice”) but our expert dipterist agreed! He described it as one of the “greater lesser” dung flies, i.e. it’s quite big for a lesser dung fly, so not likely to have been overlooked. There are very few records on national database it appears to be a genuinely scarce fly.

The species that may be new for the county is Andricus quercusradicis, a gall causer on oak. 

Its presence is given away by the slight swelling and large incision just before the branch.

As with many gall causes there are two generations. One is sexual, i.e. male and female adults emerge; the other is asexual or agamic, i.e. only females emerge. The gall in the above photograph was caused by the sexual generation. I can find no records for either generation in Shropshire and there are not many on the national database. I do not know if it is scarce or just under-recorded.

You will have to wait a while for the surprise.

Initial investigations were around the visitor centre before we moved on a short distance to an area known as the Menagerie. 

We had only been on site for 10 minutes or so when the first picnic table proved to be irresistible.

It was in this area that I found the only centipede I can identify in the field, Lithobius variegatus.

Another species that could be identified in the field (not by me) was the slime mould Metatrichia floriformis.

Photograph: John Martin

I think the term “slime mould” with its unpleasant connotations needs to be revised to something more appealing.

We moved on to the head of the “Grand Valley” where there was a play area, a couple of seats and waste bins.

Why include a picture of a waste bin area?

All will be revealed.

Rather than steer clear of this area one member of the group decided to investigate and looked in one of the bins.

No, not the one full of waste, but the upturned one.

Whatever was in there generated a lot of interest.

And what was in there provided the surprise for the day.

A Cave spider, Meta menardi.

Photograph: David Williams

As implied in the name cave spiders are normally found in caves, but they can be found anywhere that is dark and damp. However, I think upturned rubbish bin may be a new habitat choice for the spider! Cave spiders are found in the caves at Hawkstone but this one was a good distance from any cave.

The bin was returned to its rightful spot.

After that bit of excitement, we started to progress down the valley towards some picnic tables that shouted “Lunch” to us.

On the way we spotted a beetle larva.

Photograph: David Williams

A weevil, which may be Ceutorhynchus erysimi.

Photograph: John Martin

And another weevil, a member of the Sitona genus.

Photograph: John Martin

Rhododendron is abundant at Hawkstone Park and there were a great number of buds preparing to flower. Unfortunately, quite a few will not get to this stage as they are infected by the fungus Sphaerulina azalea, commonly known as Rhododendron bud blast.

Although the fungal spores will spread this infection it is thought that it is assisted by the egg-laying activities of the planthopper Graphocephala fennahi. The females make egg incisions in next year's flower buds in late summer-autumn. It is assumed that the fungus may infect the buds through the egg wounds. However, there is some doubt about this.

We reached the lunch spot.

Picnics consumed we continued down the valley. 

Reaching a path to the right we pondered awhile whether to take it. 

As it was up, relentlessly, we decided against it. However, there were some Primroses in flower at its side.

Photograph: John Martin

Reaching the end of the valley we continued along a path skirting the wood. 

Beating a Yew revealed a 10-spot and an Orange ladybird.

Photograph: David Williams

Emerging from some moss was the fungus Xylaria polymorpha, known as Dead man’s fingers. I will leave it to your imagination to decide how it gained that name.

Photograph: Neil Nash

Our last significant find of the day was a Smooth newt found in a rotting log.

Photograph: David Williams

The sun came out.

But...

Too late, it was time to go home.

My thanks Hawkstone Park for allowing us to do what we enjoy doing. My gratitude to the photographers for sending me their images to illuminate the report.