Vac Sampling

As I mentioned in the last post, yesterday I gave the vac sampler a quick blast (or suck) - albeit just down the lane on a rough verge with grasses, docks, nettles a few thistles and other low-growing vegetation. Given the location I wasn't expecting too much, but I ended up filling pots pretty quickly. Here's a snap of the first sample dumped into a shallow white tray ....

Anyone with a keen eye, or the patience to click for bigger, will note a host of tiny insects and collembola. It doesn't look much, but honestly this was alive with tiny life. I only took four samples in all, but each tray took a fair few minutes to observe and try to wrangle the odd specimen into pots.

I learnt a couple of things that I need to consider on the next go with this. Firstly, with such tiny stuff and associated dust particles and seeds etc, it only takes a very slight breeze to blow everything around or even out of the tray. Even leaning in with the eyeglass and breathing out was enough to shift what you're about to look at. I need to see if I can knock up some sort of wind-shield to sit around the tray whilst staring at it. Also, given that sitting the tray on the floor is easiest, I really need to look at ensuring I'm kneeling on soft ground or get some knee pads (how old does that make me sound!). Thirdly, wrangling tiny weevils and beetles into pots is hard enough, but for Collembola and anything that jumps I may well have to resort to using the pooter that I have and have barely ever used.

So, in four short blasts in unpromising habitat, what did I get? Or I should say what did I retain and identify instead of ignore and leaving for another day:

Five springtail species, including three new for the square yearlist: Orchesella villosa, Pogonognathellus longicornis and (new for me) Entomobrya nicoleti.

Entomobrya nicoleti

A couple of Orchesella villosa alongside one of several species I ignored.

Seven beetle species, including five new for the square yearlist: Hypera rumicis, Cartodere bifasciata, Cartodere nodifer, Perapion violaceum and (new for me) Perapion hydrolapathi.

Cartodere bifasciata

Cartodere nodifer

Perapion violaceum (left) & Perapion hydrolapathi (right)

A bug and a leafhopper new for the square yearlist: European Cinchbug and Eupteryx florida.

European Cinchbug (macropterous)

Oh, and an immature mollusc ....

Kentish Snail

I reckon the bits I identified only account for maybe 50% of the species actually hoovered up. I didn't really check the time, but in all these four samples and poking about in the tray only took c40mins or so. Of the species added, I reckon that all of the springtails and both of the Cartodere spp. would never have been picked up through sweeping. Having said that, the Hypera rumicis is one I've never seen in the square and I can't recall seeing European Cinchbug down here either.

I certainly looking forward to giving this more effort in the square.

Here's a track that is absolutely packed with small unidentifiable samples - like my tray:

Flavtastic

This morning I got up and out early, intent on enjoying some nature on my last day before going back to a more normal work-leisure pattern. I had already decided that I was going to head to Ketton Quarry to try and photograph some butterflies, with the aim of arriving before they were too active. I also wanted to check out the Hornet Moth colony.

When I got up to empy the moth trap, there was a bit of a foggy haze but it had every sign of clearing to another warm day. As I drove east it stayed the same, then as I turned north from the A47 to head towards Ketton it started to look decidedly more cloudy. I pulled up alongside the Poplar Trees and check the trunks - no sign of any Hornet Moths ....

As I walked around, I started to wonder if my plan was doomed as the cloud cover persisted and nothing was active. I did expect it to be quiet to start, and trying to get butterfly photos is a trade off: early in the day they are less active giving better photography chances, but less active butterflies are much harder to find. It paid off in the end, as both my targets were found and photographed whilst still docile enough to stay still as I approached.

My main target was Dark Green Fritillary. I have seen them before, but I've never bothered to look for them in VC55 in the last few years since they've arrived and colonised. However numbers this year have been ridiculous and it seemed daft not to make the effort.

The other target was Marbled White, one I've seen many times but they're not usually easy to get a good photo of.

The only other butterflies I pointed the camera at early in the morning were these ....

Meadow Brown

Ringlet

Later in the day, after it had warmed up considerably, Dark Green Fritillary was easily the most abundant butterfly on site, closely followed by Marbled White.

Once there was more activity, a couple of big lumbering Silver-washed Fritillaries were seen but neither came close enough for more than a record shot ...

I was stood a good 15 meters away from this butterfly!

After a quick coffee, I headed back to the Poplar Trees. Still no sign of Hornet Moth as expected; they usually emerge early in the morning and have disappeared into the canopy soon afterwards. However I went prepared and hung out the HOR lure. This is reportedly not very successful, but I've only used it once - at Ketton Quarry a few years ago - with success. I was soon being bombed by x3 males. I managed to grab a couple of quick shots as one landed on the tree trunk, but it's not as good as catching them freshly emerged (and inactive!).

Hornet Moth

But my best find of the day was a rare form of a common moth that I've not seen before:

Six-spot Burnet f.flava

Here's an entirely different (Flavor) Flav: