Many beetle and bug species will be gathering in areas to hibernate the winter away.Ladybirds often cluster together and hide in thick gorse in sheltered areas. Some ladybirds overwinter on the outside of houses such as the recent invader, harlequin ladybird.
This specimen is the cream striped ladybird(Harmonia 4-punctata) a recent newcomer to Britain about thirty years ago. It is not common but spreading and is associated with pine trees and its aphids. I found it at Hatch pond in Poole.
The very large variegated oak aphid (Lachnus roborus) is one of the largest of aphids and can be similar to the giant oak aphid, but smaller and darker. It lays eggs that overwinter. Here are some adults with many eggs. There is also hover fly larvae eating them.
More and more often, Seasonal flowers appear at unusual times of year. Seasonal fungi appear at odd times, both plants and fungi often appear at the opposite times of year.I do not think that it has much to do with confusion from the plants point of view,but more advantage taking. The reason as to why many plants flower in springtime, or fungi fruit in the autumn is more to do with guaranteed available water, which causes evolutionary habits. Short day length also has something to do with it in regards to plants. Autumn may seem like spring to some plants especially if a resting period is stimulated by the same weather conditions coupled with the same amount of daylight hours, and often with mild temperatures. Water is often more available now and many organisms can thrive better and store more essential fuel,often allowing them to flower or fruit twice or more within a typical season.This wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa) was one of two plants among many thousands that were flowering in a Gloucestershire woodland two days ago.
Galls are parts of plants that have been altered for the benefit of small invertebrates.Most plant galls are created by insects and the majority of those of which we see are caused by small wasps.Oak trees cater for many species of tiny wasps, all creating different kinds of galls either on the leaf surface , fruits , flowers or twigs. the wasps lay eggs into sensitive soft growing parts of the plant and the larvae hatch to eat the growing tissue but cause it to mutate and grow into distinctive shapes; these are visible and as the grubs grow and eat they cause the growths to get bigger and more distinctive, making there own fleshy food by stimulating the plants growing abilities.Common Spangle galls are caused by (Neuroterus quercusbaccarum).This species also produces galls within the oak flowers in spring.
At this time of year, rove beetles are abundant and the devils coach horse (Staphilynus olens) is common everywhere especially woodlands . It feeds on mollusks and is harmless despite its rather aggressive looking stance when disturbed.
The smooth snake is rather odd in comparison to our other two native snakes. The smooth snake (coronella austriaca) gives live birth,. just like the common viper or adder (vipera berus), but does so very late in the year. It does not seem to be a very productive thing to do, but it seems to work. The species gives birth now until the end of the month. The species have also been seen to mate in autumn several times by witnesses which is also an oddity. The female can obviously store sperm and allow it to develop when the time is right, and yet all baby smooth snakes seem to be born at the same time.By mating in the Autumn, maybe some cam prevent the competition during the springtime, or maybe an insurance policy that assures many fertile females to develop young. Smooth snakes seem to be very territorial and will attack each other if placed together unnaturally. Male smooth snakes will also often try to mate with females if they meet, regardless of time of year.Here is a lovely marked large male.
I had been using a female smooth snake for educational purposes and while I was releasing her she decided to give birth to three small babies.Here is one of them still within its sack with yolk still attached.
Smooth snakes are abundant on the Dorset heathlands, although they are rare within the UK. Some heaths have very dense populations.They are helped along with the many tins that are placed out by herpetologists to monitor them, creating a slightly unnatural benefit for them. It is so important that the species survives as many of the smaller heathland blocks are losing them fast.
Also on the heaths, the wasp spider (Argiope bruenichi )are laying their balloon like egg sacks. sometimes a female may lay two, like this one.
The fox moth larvae, can be seen munching their way through both Autumn and winter on any low growing grass, shrub or even tree.Here one eats the Dorset heath (Erica ciliaris).
The plume moth(Amblyptilia acanthadactyla) is one of around thirty species of similar looking micro moths, they are often called T moths for obvious reasons. This one feeds within the seed heads of the Dorset heath.It is on one of the flowers of the very local plant.
The acorn weevil(Curculio glandium) is abundant on oak trees and it bores into acorns.It is similar to the hazel nut weevil but has a longer rostrum. The acorn crop this year is very poor in comparison to last year.
Most English oaks (Quercus robur) also known as the pedunculate oak, older than three hundred years old are very scarce indeed, but a few remain hidden within the heathland areas of Dorset at least. There are many within the conurbation of Bournemouth and also within the New forest and surrounding areas. some remain within parks and arboretums. This fine tree is in the Purbeck region of Dorset and must be one of the counties largest and oldest oaks. This tree is over six and a half meters in circumference and its crown branches reach nearly twenty meters out. It may be over four hundred years old and is still going strong. The strange human next to it is me , for scale.(photo by Marc Eldridge) .Oaks are very special to Britain and the rest of northern Europe as they are the main woodland tree creating habitat for thousands of different species, from lichens, fungi, invertebrates and flowers.There is a huge amount of insects that depend solely on this species of tree. We must try to protect oaks more vigorously especially the larger specimens. Many old oaks have been felled near to where I live, much to my disappointment. It is the older trees that hold all the different life forms and just the removal of one old oak, could spell disaster to a single species of invertebrate.
In some shady woodlands under beech trees, the broad leaved helleborine ,(Epipactis helleborine) can still be found in flower; it is a late flowering orchid species.
The common earwig (Forficula auricularia) is actually still common, unlike many other invertebrates which were once common, hence their common names, but are now less so. There are several species of these insects in the UK and this is by far the most often encountered. They are omnivorous feeding on both plant and dead animal matter;this one is eating a crumb of cake indoors on the carpet. They mate during the autumn and in the springtime the female lays eggs then tends to her offspring feeding and guarding them.The giant earwig(Labidura riparia) is thought to be extinct and was found on the coast right here where i live in southbourne, Bournemouth. It was also called the maritime earwig as it lived on the sea shore amongst the strand line of debris.
Crickets are very abundant at this time of year including the common speckled bush cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima) . It can be found on many low growing herbaceous plants. Both male and female are in this pocture, the female having a projection on the end of her abdomen called the ovipositor. It is used to position eggs into plant stems or the ground and many insects have them.
Ponds and small water ways are home to bugs called water boatmen or back swimmers.They fly like most species of bug, and can see water reflected from above, just like pond skaters and water beetles. They drop down into ponds and and water troughs to create new generations. There are several species, this is (Corixa punctata) .They are predators of other water creatures.
Many species of wasps are parasitic on other insects, and some specialize in spiders including Britain’s largest spider hunting Pompilid wasp (Cryptocheilus notatus).
Tachina grossa is one of Britains largest true flies and is the size of a large bumble bee.It is a parasite of noctuid moth larvae. It can be found around natural grasslands , meadows and sometimes heathland. There are a few smaller similar species.
Beautiful metallic green moths may be seen on flowers such as the forester moths.These are related to Burnet moths and live in the same habitats of flower rich meadows, something that is rare these days.The cistus forester (Adscita statices)(lower specimen), and the scarce forester (Jordanita globulariae) are both on the same flower. This year has been good for both species which are now rare.
The species are very hard to separate from one another.
The scarce footman moth(Eilema complana) has its wings folded in towards the body at rest unlike the many other similar members of the group.
With the wet weather creating ideal situations for fungi, entomorphic species may be very common this tear.Here an Oak bush cricket (Meconema thalassinum)has succumbed to one of the species that overtakes its host and encourages it to climb high in order to spread its wind blown spores over a wide area.
Most female adders have given birth to live young . They were late this year due to the absence of warm weather. Some are still gravid. this specimen maybe has already given birth.
This time of year is best for searching the tidal zone in rock pool for various species. The fishes, crustaceans and other animals are very visible when the tide goes out. The common Blenny or Shanny( Blennis pholis) is particularly common along rocky coasts and can be found easily by waiting and watching by weedy rock pools. they are very curious of what is going on around them and will peep out of crevices to watch you; and they can be enticed out of the water with bait such as a limpet or mussel.
Prawns are also very easy to find but they are good at camouflaging themselves and they are see through, so blend in with their surroundings. There are several similar species. this one is (Palaemon elegans)
The worm pipe-fish (Gastroclonium ovatum) is uncommon, and is one of the smallest of the half a dozen pipe- fish to be found on rocky weedy coastlines around the UK.
The strange unseasonal weather often fools birds into thinking that certain times are upon them.The Black tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) is in its summer plumage but in its winter retreat of the Brownsea island lagoon in Poole harbour .There were several of them along with Spotted redshank, Shellduck and nesting common terns and black headed gulls.
Yellowhammers (Emberiza citrinella) are birds of natural grassland,meadow land and arable farmland . The male has a yellow head and typical bunting like. He perches on low bushes to sing his `little bit of bread and no cheese’ song.
The heathland sand lizard male has faded from his bright green into dirty yellow as summer starts to wain.He will turn brown before hibernation in October time.
The rain has been good for many things, including dragonflies and damselflies,molluscs and most plants.Because growth has been so good, it will have great effects on other wild life, if not this year then next.The heathlands are full of water creating large pools for dragonflies and damselflies. they are having a great year.The sundews are doing very well.They are insectivorous and the sticky hairs on the leafs trap small invertebrates, they are then digested.This is the leaf of a round leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)
The sea bindweed(Calystegia soldanella) is also flowering amongst the sand dunes.
The marsh Helleborine (Epipactis pallustris) was doing well but the patch that i was keeping an eye was munched by deer, leaving just one flower to open.
