The Three Amigos

Wednesday 27th July 2022, Pasford Farm

This outing was a return to Pasford Farm, a gem of a site on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border. The area we looked at was a valley running more or less north – south. The habit is grassland with a stream running its length. It is damp grassland near the stream grading to dry on the valley sides. 

Having parked and met in Staffordshire we were greeted by our host accompanied by a very friendly sheep. Usually as I get near a sheep it runs away, but this one just got closer and started nuzzling people looking for attention. After a while it got bored (if sheep can get bored) with our conversation and wandered off.

Time was pressing so I set off and wandered into Shropshire. As usual, very few followed.

Pausing by a farm gate to ensure it was shut after we had all come through I noticed that the vegetation around the bridge over the stream was the centre of attention.

I never did find out what was so interesting. I had noticed some Banded demoiselles on the vegetation but there must have been some other attractions that passed me by.

Eventually we regathered. Whilst most of us wandered to the south, one person went to explore a grassy bank in the opposite direction. And what a great decision he made.

His reward was finding not only the second county record of Scymnus femoralis (the first was last week at Crossways).

Photograph: David Williams

But also this shieldbug nymph.

Photograph: David Williams

We were at a bit of a loss as to what it was. At first it was thought to be the nymph of a Bishop’s Mitre shieldbug but this was quickly dismissed. Our second guess was a Small grass shieldbug, but this was still not convincing.

Dedicated research overnight by the photographer hit upon Podops inuncta, Turtle shieldbug, as the most likely species and this was subsequently confirmed by an expert.

This is the first time it has been recorded in the county.

The shieldbug is most frequently found south of the line from the Severn Estuary to the Wash but it has been creeping north and west from this area. 

The adult has a couple of peculiarities: its scutellum is very large and tongue-like reaching almost the tip of the abdomen; it has two small projections from the front of its pronotum. Here is a link to the British Bugs website for more information: Podops inuncta. 

Whilst all this excitement was happening on a small patch of grassland to the north the rest of us were working our way slowly to the south.

Then a rare event occurred …

There was an alignment …

In close proximity and at rest …

Of three vacuum samplers.

The three Amigos!

Whilst the amigos rested more traditional methods of searching were producing results.

A wasp, Tiphia femorata, only the second time it has been recorded in the county.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

An impressive soldierfly, Stratiomys potamida, definitely a member of the higher ranks!

Photograph: Nigel Jones

A micro-moth, Phycita roborella, dislodged from an oak tree.

Photograph: John Martin

And a Peacock butterfly feeding on ragwort.

Lunchtime was approaching. 

Refreshments had been laid out in a small picnic area close to the pool. However we had only progressed to about the halfway point from where we started to the pool!

We needed to get a move on.

We did!

Arriving at the lunch site we found that a large beetle had taken advantage of our absence and was on the table, eyeing up the treats.

Photograph: David Williams

A longhorn beetle, Leptura quadrifasciata.

Lunch over we continued our searching in the vicinity of the pool.

Insects commonly associated with water are “damsels and dragons”. On the day, we were not disappointed:

Brown hawker;

Photograph: John Martin

Black-tailed skimmer;

Photograph: David Williams

A Southern hawker.

Photograph: John Martin

A special treat was in store as there were two sorts of red-eyed damselflies settled on the surface vegetation of the pool:

Red-eyed damselfly;

Photograph: John Martin

And Small red-eyed damsel fly, which is a very recent arrival to the county.

Photograph: John Martin

The most obvious difference I can see between the two species is that the blue tip to the abdomen is more extensive in the Small red-eyed damselfly.

The site was home to an impressive number of grasshoppers and bush crickets. A couple of species that posed long enough to be photographed before disappearing were a Speckled bush cricket;

Photograph: David Williams

And a Lesser marsh grasshopper, which has only been found at a handful of sites in Shropshire.

Photograph: David Williams

A patch of White dead-nettle was observed. We frequently search this species of plant looking for Pied shieldbugs and are usually disappointed, but on this occasion a nymph was found.

Photograph: David Williams

Beating a large oak close to the pool yielded another inconspicuous ladybird, Scymnus aurita.

Photograph: David Williams

Somehow a caterpillar had decided that one of the group’s arms was a good place to explore:

Photograph: David Williams

This is the larva of a Bright-line brown eye moth (and not to be confused with the Brown-line bright-eye moth!).

It was time to wander back towards the cars. If progress reflected the speed at which we had set off it would be a further two hours before we returned home.

However, we went back a bit quicker!

But it did not stop us looking on the way, especially at a patch of thistles and ragwort where there was a great deal of invertebrate activity.

Meadow brown;

Bee-wolf.

Photograph; David Williams

Female Bee wolfs (should it be Bee-wolves) prey on honey-bees. After killing them they place them in the nest to feed their larvae. A number of honey bees will be placed in a single nest chamber and an egg laid on one of them. On hatching the larva works its way through this store of food.

Our final sighting of the day was the impressive large hoverfly Volucella zonaria.

Photograph: John Martin

Home we went after an excellent day on an excellent site.

My thanks to the owner of the farm for giving us permission to do what we enjoy doing and providing excellent refreshments at lunchtime. My gratitude to the photographers for providing their excellent images and I am sorry that I could not use them all.