Biodiversity

One of our regular visitors at Ashing Lane Nature Reserve is Richard Davidson, who is a volunteer recorder on the Reserve. His speciality is spotting the subtle signs of insect life, a vital part of the food chain. He also finds unusual plants that have found their way into the woods.

November 2024

Giant Willow Aphids on some of the more mature Willows. They're only giant in relation to other aphids as they're much bigger. They're quite distinctive too.

Ectoedemia argyropeza, a micro moth that creates 'green islands' on Aspen leaves which are quite distinctive when seen on the ground after they fall in the autumn. The moth larvae have a way of keeping part of the leaf green and therefore more palatable for longer.

There are equivalent species on other trees that do the same thing including on Oak and Beech. They reproduce parthenogenically so all the moths are female. I've attached a photo taken at Goslings Corner Wood which shows some of the leaves on the ground. You can see there are a lot with the distinctive green stripe just in one small area.

October 2024

Myopites apicatus/Fleabane Gall-fly - a fly whose larvae form galls on Fleabane

The gall I found on Alder cones is caused by a fungi called Alder Tongue (left)

Some leaf mines I saw on Hornbeam in Watts Wood caused by a micro moth called Phyllonorycter esperella (right)

Rabdophaga rosaria - these are the rosette galls I saw on the big White Willow tree which is between the car park and the wooden entrance (Threshold).
"The larva of a midge Rabdophaga rosaria agg. causes a conspicuous rosette shaped gall to form in the terminal bud of various Willows" (from NatureSpot)

June 2024
I think the moth caterpillars we saw in webs on the Willow bushes were probably those of Willow Ermine Moths - Yponomeuta rorrella

There were also some caterpillar webs on a Crab Apple tree as well and they're likely to be those of another species, the Apple Ermine Moth - Yponomeuta malinellus

Also seen: