Thistles Ahoy

Wildlife is everywhere, there is no need to visit nature hotspots to find it. As I have always enjoyed searching forgotten corners in everyday urban habitats to see what is lurking, this week I have explored the species that live on a single species of plant – creeping thistle.

The large community of animals associated with oak trees is well described. It is less well known that a community of animals are also dependant on herbaceous plants such as thistles. A variety of species cause galls, swellings of the plant where the larvae live and feed. Each species is usually specific to a single plant species. This gall fly (Tephritidae) is one of the species that causes galls on creeping thistle.

The larvae of other species feed on specific plants but don’t cause galls. This small beetle with an elongated head (seed weevil) is one of these, with different species that look very similar living on different plants.

As well as species that rely on thistles as food sources for their young, there are also species that are not specialised to thistles but do enjoy drinking their sap or nectar as adults. Several species of true bug (Homoptera) can be found on thistle, including aphids and this common froghopper that will feed in a similar way with its stabbing mouthparts.

As thistles are prominent in the plant community, they will also be used as a general gathering place. Red soldier beetles are particularly common at the moment, using the flower heads for their orgy.

The humble thistle is host to a whole community that can be discovered wherever these ‘weeds’ are found, all I need to do is search.

Species added this week: #29 Dune chafer (Anomala dubia). #30 Gall fly (Tephritidae). #31 Narrow-bordered five-spot Burnet (Zygaena lonicerae). #32 Seed weevil (Apionidae). #33 Common froghopper (Philaenus spumarius). #34 Broad-leaved helleborine (Epipactis helleborine). #35 Crab spider (Thomisidae). #36 Red soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulca).

1000 species challenge. One species seen and photographed, alive, in the wild, in Britain each day.

Splendour in the shifting sands

My feet slide and sink into the soft ground as I try to climb the hummock, stiff leaves prickling my legs. These are the coastal sand dunes close to my home. At the summer solstice, this looks so dry, the vegetation mainly consisting of straw-brown grasses and sedges, and blackened, crisp mats of moss. It is the extreme nature of this habitat which makes it so special. It is so different from ‘normal’ countryside that many of the creatures here are considered to be rare.

The 1000 species challenge means I gradually build knowledge and so, after finding my first robber fly last week, I am now recognising these with ease as they stake out a patch of bare sand. I even found a mating pair.

Scanning the undulating scene, I find patches of drought adapted plants that provide colour (and nectar). The fleshy, waxy leaves of many of the plants resemble desert flora.

Special insects abound and the sandy ground allows many to excavate nest sites. Solitary bees live here and there are also digger wasps. The wasps are another group that are the subjects of natural history documentaries. They capture other insects and paralyse them with their stings before placing them in their nest chamber and laying their egg on the living but immobilised prey, which their their larvae feed on at leisure. They also have the most impressive fore-legs adapted to their digging habit.

The bounty of cereals and success of insects supports a population of special birds. Many of these pick seeds or insects off the ground or grass heads, but I was extremely fortunate to find a species known for its skulking behaviour perched in the open as it sang. The rapid, rattling song of the grasshopper warbler resembles the eponymous insect’s song and gives the species its name. Soon these summer migrants will start their journey south to cross continents. For now, I simply enjoy this privileged view.

The species added this week: 22. Common mallow (Malva sylvestris). 23. Hare’s-tail (Lagurus ovatus). 24. Trivial plant bug (Closterotomus trivialis). 25 Biting stonecrop (Sedum acre). 26. Yellow shell (Camptogramma bilineata). 27. Slender-bodied digger wasp (Crabro cribrarius). 28. Grasshopper warbler (Locustella naevia).

1000 species challenge. One species seen and photographed alive, in the wild, in Britain every day.