In at the start (almost)

Wednesday 3rd September 2025, Green Acres Farm

As there is a bumper bundle of photographs available for this report I have not tried to merge them into the text but placed them after the description of the day.

Hope that is OK!

Green Acres is a farm on the edge of Kemberton. It has been an organic farm for 25 years or so and is mainly arable, although it does also have some sheep. It is spread over more than one site; the area we were visiting consisted of a number of large arable fields that had recently changed to an Agriforestry regime.

Over last winter, strips of a various native trees were planted about 35 metres apart, running east/west across the fields. In addition, 3 metre borders of wildflower mix were sown on each side of the trees.

Unfortunately, the wildflower borders failed to take and the plan is to try again next year. Currently most of the strips look like this.

However there were a few that were showing signs of growth although they were lacking their wildflower borders.

In effect we were carrying out our survey at the start of the process of converting to the new scheme.

Well...

Almost!

The reason for the conversion is to make the farm more welcoming to wildlife. 

The owners are keen to see how wildlife responds to the change over the coming years, in the expectation that improvements will be seen. The farm can then be used as an example of how other farms could benefit from this approach.

After a brief introduction from the farmer, which I have paraphrased above, we moved onto the farm, walking down a track with a well established hedge, to one of the strips. Here we started our searches for things of interest in the narrow grassy areas that bordered the trees.

There are about 25 similar strips, but we did not search them all! Just bits of a couple, before moving on to an area of recently planted woodland. 

Here, the trees were still young but the vegetation that had grown around them proved very productive.

We stayed in this area for the rest of the morning.

When I noticed that a couple were no longer able to walk about (due to hunger?)…

I called lunch. 

Originally the plan was to return to the classroom where we had had the introduction from the farmer, where there were suitable facilities available to us (and it had a roof!), but the weather was so good we had lunch where we were.

After lunch we spent a little more time in this area.

As we were thinking about moving on, we peered around the substantial hedge and noticed an approaching storm.

It did not spare us. 

We sought shelter from whatever cover we could find.

Thankfully, the storm did not last very long and we were able to proceed in dribs and drabs to the far end of the track, to an area where wildflowers were growing.

This area also proved fruitful.

More rain!

Fortunately a large oak and a horse chestnut provided adequate cover. 

It was a short sharp burst, but it was enough to bring proceedings to an end. We returned back to the classroom. 

After a brief discussion with the owner about what we had found, we went home.

At last, photographs of some of the species we observed during the day.

Beetles

A ground beetle, Amara aenea.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Clover-root Weevil, Sitona hispidulus.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Another ground beetle, Curtonotus aulicus.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A leaf beetle, Gastrophysa polygoni (and companion).

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Another weevil, Pelenomus quadrituberculatus.

Photograph: David Williams

Ladybirds

Yes, I know they are also beetles but they deserve their own section.

A 22-spot Ladybird, Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A couple of Adonis Ladybirds, Adonia variegata.

Photograph: David Williams

Photograph: David Williams

An Angle-spotted Ladybird, Scymnus frontalis.

Photograph: David Williams

A pair of Meadow Ladybirds, Rhyzobius litura, on the left and right, and a 16-spot Ladybird, Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata, in the middle, acting as a chaperone.

Photograph: David Williams

Butterflies and moths

A well-disguised twig-like larva of a Blood-vein moth, Timandra comae. (We also saw an adult, but failed to photograph it.)

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus.

Photograph: Neil Nash

A boldly patterned larva of a Knotgrass moth, Acronicta rumicis.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

True Bugs

A Dock Bug, Coreus marginatus.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Green Shieldbug, Palomena prasina.

Photograph: David Williams

A Hawthorn Shieldbug, Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale.

Photograph: David Williams

Grasshoppers and Crickets

A female Field Grasshopper, Chorthippus brunneus.

Photograph: David Williams

A female Lesser Marsh Grasshopper, Chorthippus albomarginatus.

Photograph: David Williams

A male Long-winged Conehead, Conocephalus fuscus.

Photograph: David Williams

A female Oak Bush-cricket, Meconema thalassinum.

Photograph: David Williams

A female Speckled Bush-cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima.

Photograph: David Williams

Earwigs

A male Common Earwig, Forficula auricularia.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A female Lesne’s Earwig, Forficula lesnei.

Photograph: David Williams

Spiders

A Furrow Orb Weaver, Larinioides cornutus.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Missing Sector Spider, Zygiella x-notata, so called as often the upper part of the the spider's web is open, i.e. does not contain any spiral threads between the spokes.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Another spider, a male Nigma walckenaeri.

Photograph: David Williams

A Nursery Web Spider, Pisaura mirabilis.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Harvestmen

A Fork Palped Harvestman, Dicranopalpus ramosus agg.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And Nemastoma bimaculatum.

Others

A Common Rough Woodlouse, Porcellio scaber.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Knopper Gall on an acorn, caused by the development of the asexual generation of the gall wasp Andricus quercuscalicis.

A Ruddy Darter, Sympetrum sanguineum.

Photograph: David Williams

Weevil of the Week

Yes, the occasional series, Weevil of the Week, returns this week. Our featured weevil is Stenocarus ruficornis.

Its larvae are parasites of the Poppy family, initially mining the leaves, then boring through the roots. It is uncommon in this country but considered a pest in others.

Photograph: David Williams

Photograph: David Williams

And finally a photograph of a very, very young and cute Dock Bug nymph.

Photograph: David Williams

My thanks to the owners for inviting us to visit and do what we enjoy doing. My immense gratitude to the photographers for their excellent images.

Where’s the sun?

Wednesday 20th August 2025, Wildgoose Nursery

Wildgoose Nursery is a small independent nursery and garden housed within the old redbrick walls of a former kitchen garden, in Millichope. Much more can be read about the nursery by going to their website - Wildgoose Nursery

The nursery is not usually open on a Wednesday so it was a privilege that were were permitted to visit.

Anticipation of the visit was high, and we had a magnificent turn out for this outing.

Unfortunately, the weather was in an uncooperative mood.

On a day when the blooms in the nursery would have been ideal for spotting visiting bees, butterflies and other invertebrates had the sun shone, the sun did not appear!

After weeks, nay, months of almost unbroken sunshine it was very disappointing that it chose this day to hide behind thick cloud and not come out to play.

Ah, well, nothing is guaranteed!

No point in moaning and groaning, we had to make the best of what the day provided.

This included the tea room that was opened up for us to have lunch with hot drinks provided…

And toilets!

Very useful.

In contrast to last week when we had to park the cars on a postage stamp we met in a large car park. 

There was no trouble fitting everyone in.

The car park also contained some grassland trees and hedgerow and this provided the first diversion of the day as we explored it.

Well, most of us did, but some could not resist the draw of the nursery, and they wandered in.

Early finds around the car park were:

An Oak Ladybird, Scymnus auritus;

Photograph: David Williams

A Pine Ladybird, Exochomus quadripustulatus;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A larva of a 22-spot Ladybird, Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Smooth Spangle Gall, caused by the asexual generation (all female) of the wasp, Neuroterus albipes;

Photograph: John Lyden

We left the car park and joined the advance guard in the nursery, passing our lichenologists who were peering at small growths on the brickwork of the garden wall.

We were met by the sight of a mixture of hedging, grasses and flowers. Perhaps we were a little late in the year to see the nursery in its full glory, but it was still something to behold and admire.

Clearly our normal tactic of sweeping and beating vigorously would need to be tempered so that we did not damage the blooms. Only the grasses were swept. The flowers were caressed carefully in attempts to dislodge invertebrates.

A harvestman, Leiobunum rotundum.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

An attractive froghopper, a Cixius species.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Unfortunately, the Cixius was a female and could not be identified to species (by me).

A major feature of the nursery is the historic glasshouse that runs along one of the garden walls.

It was built in the 1830’s and is a remarkable construction. More information about it and its recent restoration can be found on the website using the link provided above.

Back to the gardens.

Tucked into one of the flowers a Sloe Bug, Dolycoris baccarum, was just visible.

Photograph: David Williams

As mentioned earlier the unsympathetic weather had not encouraged bees and butterflies to put in appearance but there were a few bumble bees about and a handful of hoverflies including the “Batman” hoverfly, Myathropa florea, named as the markings on its thorax resemble (with a lot of imagination) the batman symbol.

Photograph: David Williams

A flea beetle, Longitarsus rubiginosus, was observed on some Bindweed.

Photograph: John Lyden

Tucked away in the corner of the site is a scruffy area where the “weeds” rule the roost. Mainly Nettles, but other things are mixed in together with some garden waste. This was a magnet to the entomologists during the morning.

At lunch we decided that this beetle, found earlier in the morning, was a Red-rumped Ladybird, Scymnus haemorroidalis.

Photograph: David Williams

Some of the group visited the glasshouse in the morning. I decided to wait for the afternoon in the hope that the sun would come out and illuminate its contents.

It didn’t.

But it was still pretty bright inside.

We puzzled over some of the plants before leaving them undisturbed to continue their growth.

Back outside and continuing to wander the labyrinth of paths around the garden…

Photograph: David Williams

We continued to find invertebrates.

A plume moth, Emmelina monodactyla.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Another moth, this time a common micro-moth found at this time of year, Celypha lacunana.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And yet another micro-moth, Argyresthia albistria.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Inspecting plants for galls revealed this spot fungus, Septoria scabiosicola, on a leaf of Devil’s Bit Scabious.

Photograph: John Lyden

The next photograph is of a mirid bug in the genus Lygus. Unfortunately, it is not possible to identify the species as there are several Lygus species that look the similar. They are separated by the length of the hairs and their spacing together with the distribution of punctures on the wings. Easiest done under a microscope!

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Hummingbird hawk-moth, Macroglossum stellatarum passed through.

Photograph: John Lyden

And a Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, busied itself on one of the flowers.

Photograph: David Williams

Returning to the “scruffy” area we found a Dock bug, Coreus marginatus, on the vegetation.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a ground bug, Heterogaster urticae. This is a common bug and is associated with Nettles.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Our final photographed insect for the day was a hoverfly, Eristalis arbustorum.

Photograph: David Williams

One last look at the garden before we left and made our way home.

Photograph: David Williams

My thanks to the owners for inviting us to visit and do what we enjoy doing and their hospitality. My immense gratitude to the photographers for their excellent images.

Wednesday, 30th August 2025, Lee Hill, Lee Brockhurst

This outing was cancelled when the weather forecast was for 2-3 hours of heavy rain, the remnants of hurricane Erin, starting just after we were scheduled to arrive. Not the sort of weather to be out and about looking for invertebrates.