Brave or Foolhardy?

Wednesday 17th September 2025, Treflach Farm

Our destination this week was Treflach Farm in the Oswestry uplands. I can best sum up its ‘mission’ by quoting directly from its website “In August 2006 Ian Steele returned to the family farm from working in London and abroad in the Petrochemical Industry. So began a journey to revitalise a small scale, hillside farm in the family since 1904. The aim was to prove that small scale agriculture can indeed be environmentally aware, promote biodiversity and remain viable in the modern world.” 

After months of blameless weather, our visit continued the recent trend of wet Wednesdays. So wet in fact that several of the group, having perused the weather forecast, decided that their warm, dry houses sounded like a much better idea and stayed at home! However, a brave (foolhardy?) few decided to bash on. 

On arrival, the rain was still falling, though not as heavily as it had been.

Photograph: David Williams

Everything was, of course, soaked. Waterproofs were donned and vacuum samplers readied for action.

Grassland near the farm buildings was the first area to be examined. This produced several ladybird species, including a suitably bedraggled 7-spot Ladybird...

Photograph: David Williams

Other finds included:

A Straw Dot, Rivula sericealis (on the left) and a stiltbug, Berytinus minor, (on the right); 

Photograph: David Williams

A 22-spot Ladybird, Psyllobora vigintiduopuctata; 

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Adonis' Ladybird, Hippodramia variegata; 

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Drinker larva, Euthrix potatoria; 

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Scarlet Tiger larva, Callimorpha dominula; 

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A plantbug, a species Lygus;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Larvae of the sawfly Euura pavida eating a leaf of an osier.

Photograph: John Lyden

Common Flower Bug, Anthocoris nemorum;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Dock Bug, Coreus marginatus;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a less fortunate 7-spot ladybird that has been parasitised by the wasp Dinocampus coccinellidae. The ladybird is "glued" in place by the pupating wasp causing the ladybird to starve to death.

Photograph: John Lyden

Nettles produced a Red Admiral larva, Vanessa atalanta...

Photograph: David Williams

And a groundbug, Heterogaster urticae.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Whilst finds from trees and hedges included:

A plant bug, Pantilius tunicatus; 

Photograph: David Williams

Common Earwig, Forficula auricularia; 

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Garden spider, Araneus diadematus;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A missing segment spider, Zygiella x-notata;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a Willow Leaf Beetle Chrysolina staphylaea. 

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Lunch time arrived. It was still raining. We retreated to a convenient building for shelter, during which time the rain abated and rather miraculously the sun appeared, albeit rather fitfully. 

Lunch over, we made our way down to the bottom of the site where a marshy field and pond were our targets. Here, we found:

Red Marsh Ladybird, Coccidula rufa; 

Photograph: David Williams

Common Striped Woodlouse, Philoscia muscorum;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

European cinchbug, Ischnodemus sabuleti;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Another bug, Corizus hyoscyami;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A fungus, Taphrina alni that has grown from an Alder catkin;

Photograph: John Lyden

And a rove beetle, Paederus riparius.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Extricating ourselves from the marsh, we headed for a grassy hillock on which trees had recently been planted. By now the brisk wind was doing a surprisingly good job of drying the sodden vegetation.

More 22-spot Ladybirds were found, this time also including some 24-spots, Subcoccinella vigintiquattuorpunctata.

Photograph: David Williams

Two nice species of shieldbug were vacuumed:

Blue Shieldbug, Zicrona caerulea; 

Photograph: David Williams

And Small Grass Shieldbug Neottiglossa pusilla;

Photograph: David Williams

Plus a lacebug, Tingis ampliata;

Photograph: David Williams

And the groundbug, Drymus sylvaticus.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

It was also nice to see Encephalus complicans for the first time in 2025, a tiny (less than 3mm) and remarkably flexible rove beetle, whose party trick is to curl its abdomen over its back so that it forms an almost perfect ball.

Photograph: David Williams

This area also produced the Weevil of the Week, Hadroplontus litura.

Photograph: David Williams

Time remained for us to explore an area of woodland at the edge of the site. This produced a fine display of earthstar fungi...

Photograph: David Williams

Including this Collared Earthstar, Geastrum triplex...

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a White Ermine larva, Spilosoma lubricipeda. 

Photograph: David Williams

A leaf mine was spotted in a Primrose. This seems to be caused by a species of fly, Chromatomyia primulae. 

Photograph: David Williams

After this, we made a slow return to our vehicles and thence homewards, having had a much fuller day than we had feared when we had set off in the morning. 

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.