Insects of Chesworth Farm wetland
It is well appreciated that the more insects we have at the bottom of the food chain, the more mammals and birds we might see. However, it is also the range and diversity of flowering plants that attract our important pollinator species, the bees and hoverflies for example. Thankfully, through regular surveys, we can see that the range of insect species on the farm is growing year on year.
Hoverflies come in a vast array of shapes, sizes and colour forms. The large Great Pied Hoverfly, is often seen hovering motionless along the shady areas alongside the Arun. It is a fierce defender of its territory and will even “buzz” you as you walk by. The Tiger Hoverfly with its football-jersey stripes or Batman Hoverfly, with the batman-shaped symbol on its thorax, are easily seen and identified. More frequent hoverflies are the Marmalade Fly often boosted in numbers by migrants from the continent and the Common Globetail.
Photo by Tim Thomas
Our bee population is thankfully diverse and abundant. Among our visitors are the large bumble bees including Common Carder Bee, Garden Bumblebee, Tree Bumblebee and the Buff-tailed Bumblebee. Then there are mining bees in the turf banks while our “bee hotels” are popular with the Blue Mason and Red Mason Bees.
Photo by Dave Verrall
Butterflies fill our fields throughout the summer months, from the common Meadow Brown to the infrequent Essex Skipper. Both species of blue butterfly are regulars as is the threatened Small Heath. The large Red Admiral and Peacock utilise our Common Nettle banks as egg-laying sites. We are encouraging our population of Brown Hairstreak butterflies, whose Blackthorn egg-sites are nationally compromised by hedge-cutting. Seen early in the year, the Brimstone or Orange Tip and late in the year, Comma, are all popular. In shady areas pairs of the Speckled Wood can be spotted “dancing” in spiralling circles.
Spiders maybe not as popular for some but are found everywhere on the farm and almost 50 distinct species have been identified. Probably the most spectacular is the Wasp Spider, weaving its web among the grass stems in our quieter fields. Wolf spiders abound. The Long-bodied Cellar spider is found in the Volunteer Centre. The tiny Sputnik Spider (uncommon in Sussex) and the appropriately named Nurseryweb Spider also feature.
Moths come in a dazzling array of colours and sizes, from the strikingly beautiful hawkmoths to the aptly named Clay. Most are nocturnal but during the day, you can easily spot species like the Cinnabar, and its yellow and black striped caterpillars munching on Common Ragwort. Keep an eye out for the tiny Mint Moth or the Six-spot Burnet, often found on Knapweed flowers. And if you’re lucky, you might even spot the charmingly named Mother Shipton, with its distinctive silhouette on its forewing.
Perhaps the most thrilling of all the day-flyers is the Hummingbird Hawkmoth, seen darting around bright, open flowers. Its rapid, hovering flight make it a true marvel of the insect world.
Photo by Tim Thomas
Other insects include a variety of grasshoppers spread throughout the fields. Red or yellow spotted ladybirds too are common across an assortment of habitats. More secretive are the beetles but no less bright, like the Yellow and black Long-horn Beetle or the Cardinal Beetle. A common beetle during the high summer is the iridescent green Swollen-thighed Flower Beetle – the males are easily identified by their muscular-looking thighs.
A variety of flies (Diptera) inhabit the farm, from those that parasitise, those that lay eggs on dung, right through to those that bite and those that are nectar-feeders. Look for the Yellow Dung Fly on cow pats or a stripy-backed Flesh Fly. There are also those that live in or on water, biting mosquitoes and those that don’t bite (Chironomids); those that lay their eggs in plant stems or wood (Sawflies) those that specifically parasitise caterpillars (Ichneumons); crane flies (Tipulids)whose larvae feed on the roots of plants. The list is almost endless.
Photo by Tim Thomas
