Rain prevents play!

Wednesday 22nd May 2024. Melverley, Common piece and other fields

The group was due to visit three areas of privately owned land near Melverley that are now being managed with minimal intervention for the benefit of wildlife.

Regrettably the weather had other plans.

The forecast of rain to fall all day led to this outing being postponed.

Thanks to the Shropshire Spider Group it has been rescheduled for Sunday 21st July. Fingers crossed that the weather will be kinder.

In the absence of a report of the outing I share with you below the many photographs that have come my way over the past week or so.

Friday 17th May 2024, Eardington Quarry

An evening of moth trapping was held at the quarry. Here are a few of the species that were observed:

A larva of a Blair’s shoulder-knot;

Photograph: David Williams

Great crested newts;

Photograph: David Williams

Photograph: David Williams

A woodlouse, Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii; this small woodlouse is found in association with ants and is known as the Ant Woodlouse;

Photograph: David Williams

A Palmate newt;

Photograph: David Williams

A Glow-worm larva;

Photograph: David Williams

A Puss moth;

Photograph: David Williams

An Eyed hawk-moth;

Photograph: David Williams

Another hawk-moth, this time a Poplar hawk-moth;

Photograph: David Williams

A Buff-tip;

Photograph: David Williams

And a Lobster moth.

Photograph: David Williams

Sunday 19th May 2024, King’s Dyke Nature Reserve

King’s Dyke Nature Reserve is a private nature reserve just east of Peterborough. The photographer went there to find a ground-hopper that is not found, yet, in Shropshire. Whilst searching for this elusive insect he observed few other creatures of interest.

A hairy dragonfly.

Photograph: David Williams

A Scarce chaser.

Photograph: David Williams

A Slender-horned leatherbug.

Photograph: David Williams

A Marsh harrier.

Photograph: David Williams

Our photographer was looking for Cepero’s ground-hopper, a species that I had never heard of until he showed me one in Manchester Museum a few weeks ago.

Unfortunately, it looks very similar to a much more commonly found ground-hopper, Slender ground-hopper. 

And the Slender ground-hopper was very common on this site and he had to check over a hundred for minor features that distinguish the two.

Out of all the ground-hoppers he checked he found ONE Cepero’s!

Here it is.

Photograph: David Williams

Wednesday 22nd May 2024, Crossways

The photographer found this rarely reported hoverfly inside his house, Brachypalpus laphriformis.

Photograph: John Lyden

Friday 24th May 2024, Crossways

As a reward for doing the household chores the photographer noticed this sawfly, Hoplocampa alpina.

Photograph: John Lyden

This is the first time that this sawfly has been recorded in the county.

Friday 24th May 2024, Madeley

A slow-worm was discovered when opening a bag of home produced compost.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Saturday 25th May 2024, Little Hill

A walk to the summit of Little Hill was not rewarded with the sight of Callicera rufa. The tree trunk on which at least one male has been found at this time of year was, disappointingly, devoid of hoverflies. I had to be content with this Rhagium bifasciata that took a fancy to my waterproof.

Saturday 25th May 2024, Madeley

Several similar flies were seen in the garden with a long proboscis and feathery legs. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to decide which species the flies were other than a member of the Empis genus.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Monday 27th May 2024, Swellshill

On a generally damp and disappointing Bank Holiday Monday a couple of us were able to find a good deal of sunshine near to Stroud. The only down-side was the rather stiff breeze that was difficult to find shelter from.

Swellshill is an area of grassland on a steep south-ish facing slope, close to Rodborough Common. It is generally a good site for butterflies.

However, our early successes were a couple of shieldbugs.

Bishop’s Mitre.

And from one of the Juniper bushes a Juniper shieldbug.

And then we started to find butterflies and moths.

A Common blue.

A Forester moth (or it may be a Cistus forester, they are difficult to separate).

A Dingy skipper. This was by far the most common species we saw.

A Brown argus

My thanks the photographers for providing their images for this report.

Guess what’s for dinner

Wednesday 15th May 2024, Hodnet Old Railway Laine

Hodnet Old Railway Line is a mile or so long nature reserve owned by Shropshire County Council that follows the route of the defunct Wellington to Market Drayton line. It features an embankment and a cutting whose vegetation provides a home for Glow-worms. It runs from Station Road in Hodnet to Wollerton, ending opposite Wollerton Old Hall. A footpath runs along the length of the reserve.

Once again, I was absent as I was isolating with COVID, so, once again, I am grateful for a verbal summary of the day from one of the attendees.

Wollerton Old Hall Gardens were closed which meant that their car park was not available for use but, as it was quiet, we were able to park on the roadside by the hall.

To get to the reserve it is necessary to follow the footpath through the car park. This was bordered by a hedge which provided shelter from the early morning cool breeze.

An early record was a female Common earwig which was found eating her way through a Yellow dung-fly.

Photograph: David Williams

Soon after this a mirid bug, Rhabdomeris striatellus, was also discovered tucking into bits of another unfortunate Yellow dung-fly.

Photograph: David Williams

It is fair to say that there were a lot of Yellow dung-flies about!

On the reserve an insect was found that was not devouring a dung-fly, a Drinker moth larva.

Photograph: David Williams

This was followed by finding one of our least recorded shieldbugs, a Forget-me-not shieldbug.

Photograph: David Williams

Considering the amount of Forget-me-not plants there are, it is very surprising it is not more common. Presumably there are other environmental factors that need to be met for it to be successful. When found it tends to be on well drained sites.

The site may be a mile or so in length but it is not very wide so there is not much exploring to be done other than just follow the path to the end, turn round and return. The vegetation is mainly ground layer but there are some trees and shrubs.

And it was in one of the trees that the next insect was found, a micro-ladybird, Scymnus auratus, known as the Oak ladybird.

Photograph: David Williams

Another insect associated with oak is Harpocera thoracica, which can be found on the tree as an adult for a few weeks after the leaves first appear.

Photograph: David Williams

Back to the ground layer, a bee, Andrena labiata.

Photograph: David Williams

Switching from fauna to flora, a Pink garlic, Allium trifoliatum, was found in flower.

Photograph: John Martin

According to the finder this is the first time that this plant has been recorded in the county. 

Returning to fauna and insects, male Empis tessellata, when trying to win over a female for mating, will catch a prey item and present it to the female. If she is impressed, she will allow mating to take place.

Photograph: John Martin

She was impressed!

Once again, the gift of food is a Yellow dung-fly.

Well, there were lots about.

Also in the mood for love were a pair of 14-spot ladybirds.

Photograph: David Williams

Continuing searching the ground layer vegetation teased out a couple more shieldbugs:

Pied shieldbug;

Photograph: David Williams

Woundwort shieldbugs, a pair of which were mating, whilst a third was an onlooker.

Photograph: David Williams

At this time of year keep a look out for long-horned beetles. This one is a Wasp beetle.

Photograph: David Williams

The day was drawing to a close when this 2-spot ladybird was noticed.

Photograph: David Williams

Time to head back to the start and home.

And what’s for dinner? 

Yellow dung-flies, of course.

My thanks to Shropshire County Council for allowing us to do what we enjoy doing. My gratitude to Jim for providing a summary of the day and to the photographers for providing the substance of this report.

The only way is Up

Wednesday 8th May 2024, Pollardine Farm

Pollardine Farm is a large farm in the Gatten Valley which runs alongside the eastern slopes of the Stiperstones. 

The farm has a wide range of habitats including unimproved grassland and pasture, acid grassland, a pool, water courses and woodland. On a previous visit to the farm, on a very hot day in August 2022, we looked at some of the grassland areas and the pool. On this occasion we decided to go to the acid grassland situated on a small hill known as Paulith Bank.

A glorious day dawned for the visit. Unfortunately, on the “best” Wednesday of the year to date with regards the weather, I was not well and could not attend. This report will therefore consist of a brief summary of the day followed by plenty of photographs.

“You missed the first coat free day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“The westerly was cool when we arrived but in sheltered spots it was properly warm, by lunchtime it was very nice.

“We parked in the large parking area and then walked back down the road we had driven along and turned right onto the track to Paulith Wood. 

“We passed the right turn to Hunters Cottage and carried on shortly arriving at an area of the hill which had been quarried and access to the brook (which joins Habberley Brook). The winter rains have scoured the course and there was fallen wood in the brook and we saw Chalcosyrphus eunotus! [This is a hoverfly whose larvae develop in semi-submerged wood. Adults can be found on or close to such wood.]

“We stayed here for quite a while, I think the dipterists could have stayed most of the morning, but we moved on, following the track before turning right and starting to climb up Paulith Bank.

“We stopped a couple of times and vacced sunlit areas, lunch was declared at the second stop. And then on to the top, well actually not the top (c380m) but a flattish area, c280m. There were good views over to the Stiperstones and of areas of the farm we have been to before. 

“After more vaccing we slowly retraced our steps, again stopping by the quarried area and brook and then slowly back to the cars.

“We didn’t need our coats!”

A hoverfly, Chalcosyrphus eunotus.

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

A fold-winged cranefly, Ptychoptera sp.

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

A ground beetle, probably Paranchus albipes.

Photograph: John Martin

A leaf beetle, Galerucella lineola.

Photograph: John Martin

Starting the climb.

Photograph: Liz Roberts

A pair of craneflies, Tipula vernalis.

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

A large beetle larva which we believe is a Carrion beetle, Silphidae.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Searching for lichens.

Photograph: Liz Roberts

A click beetle, Selatosomus aeneus.

Photograph: John Martin

A bee-fly, Bombylius major.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Broom leaf beetle, Gonioctena olivacea.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Keep going!

Photograph: Liz Roberts

A tiny ground bug that can easily be mistaken as a beetle in a tray or a net , Plinthisus brevipennis.

Photograph: John Martin

A mirid bug Harpocera thoracica, usually found on oak in spring.

Photograph: John Martin

Nearly there?

Photograph: Liz Roberts

Another click beetle, Prosternon tessellatum.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A very infrequently recorded fly, Alliopsis pilitarsis. This is only the second time it has been recorded in Shropshire. The previous record was made by Wallace Pugh in 1940.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

And finally, was it worth it?

Photograph: Liz Roberts

I think so!

Other news

A small collection of photographs of creatures chanced upon whilst out and about.

The first is a tiny, bristly, millipede spotted on stonework during a visit to the Wyre Forest, Polyxenus lagurus.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Whilst surveying at Blists Hill this Crucifer shieldbug was photographed.

Photograph: Neil Nash

After a day in the sand dunes at Ainsdale, we came across this larva wandering down the pavement. Worried that it may get trodden on it was moved to the vegetation. I am told it is a Dark tussock.

Looking out of a window my wife spotted this Grey Heron on a neighbour’s roof.

Dicranocephalus medius is associated with Wood spurge which is usually found in woodland. But this one was found on grass at the side of a busy road in Button Oak.

Photograph: Maria Justamond

And finally these two bugs were spotted in the garden, Dolycoris baccarum (Hairy shieldbug) and Stictopleurus puntatonervosus.

Photograph: David Williams

My thanks to the owners of Pollardine Farm for allowing us to do what we enjoy doing. My gratitude to Jim for providing a summary of the day and to the photographers for providing the substance of this report.