Searching for larvae

In the brief dry window today I made my first attempt at finding hoverfly larvae this year. My last try failed but it seemed worth i, if only as a break from researching sites for later in the year.

I chose to go to a local rewilding site where I am surveying regularly for hoverflies as part of a large volunteer effort.

The site, Watercress farm near to Nailsea, is run by the Belmont Estate whose owners are seeking to prove that a nature based solution can generate money as an alternative to an intensive farming. It seems to me that as many alternative land uses as possible should be trialled to give Britain a healthier mix for the future generations.

I set up shop in the Poplar Wood to search leaf litter for diapausing (resting phase) larvae.

                                                                                Poplar Wood

My technique is extremely basic. I set up a chair, pick up handfuls of leaves and put them on the lid of a plastic box to sort through. 

                                   Work area including rucksack for industrial quantities of coffee


Unfortunately an hour or so was all I could spare and I failed to find any this time. However I feel its important to report failures as well as successes; hence this post.

No trip out fails to connect with some kind of wildlife though. While sitting there I saw a brief Kingfisher flash along the stream, heard both Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush singing and found several leaf-litter dwellers.

Two of these creatures  were captured on camera. The first is an ichneumonid wasp of some kind. These are very challenging indeed to identify and I did not try.

                                                                  Ichneumonid wasp

            The second resembled a rolled leaf bud at first site but looked like a snail at some angles so I bought it home in a pot to photograph and look at while the warm and dry. 

It turned out to be a snail and came out of its shell as it warmed. Obsidentify says it is most likely a Two-toothed Door Snail ( Clausilia bidentata ) which will be new for the site if confirmed
It will get released once the rain stops.             

Certainly worth a couple of photos though:

                       
                                                                Two-toothed Door Snail

                           
Next time I will try a different wood with a wider range of trees but its all a learning curve really.

Now back to looking for places to help me achieve my 100 Hoverfly target once the season starts in a few week's time.


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