Hitchin Cemetery Wildlife Sept 2021

 Cemetery Sightings September 2021

I do enjoy looking for insects and the start of Autumn still has plenty to see, for instance this lovely Common Carder Bumblebee I saw on Field Scabious. Common Carders are one of the most plentiful Bumblebees but seem to escape people's notice.


The Ivy Bees (a September specialist) were present in large numbers everywhere the Ivy Flowers caught the sunlight, but I also spotted one on a white Yarrow flower too. They are almost as big as a Honey Bee and it can be difficult to tell them apart especially as they generally don't stay still, but look for slightly brighter orange stripes. There are often Common Wasps on Ivy too, but they are more yellow. 

 

There were a number of shield bugs which I found in the cemetery: always a favourite of mine as they tend to be a little larger and have better markings than some insects I know. Firstly here are two Common Green Shieldbugs, the one on the left is a juvenile which is in its "goth" teenage phase, and will grow up to be a slightly more sophisticated looking adult like the one on the right.

 

Next up is actually quite small and this is one which enjoys the longer grass and is named after its shape, the Bishop's Mitre Shieldbug.



Two very similar looking bugs next, on the left is a Dock Bug and on the right a Rhombic Leatherbug with a diamond shaped abdomen. Dock Bugs are a very common bug whereas  Rhombic Leatherbugs are rare and feed on plants such as Red and White Campion. This was my best find of the month!

 


A final funky-looking bug about 2cm long is the Western Conifer Seedbug, which likes Scot's Pine, this is a native of the USA but somehow made it to Europe in 1999 and has been spreading fast since then. It is quite strong flying and has a habit of hibernating in people's homes.


There are other insects which favour Scot's Pine, on the left is a tiny aphid and on the right three ladybirds all of which love to eat aphids: left to right 18-Spot, Pine and Cream Streaked ladybirds. I popped these on a stone to take my photo and then carefully put them back in their tree.

 

So September has produced some "goodies" in the cemetery which will now be a refuge for lots of these mini-beasts to hibernate in over winter.

Phil Barron

All photos taken in the cemetery, my Twitter name is @pcbtwit. 



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