A late Summer's visit to the New Forest.

[nomad]

In England's New Forest National Park, dry heathland often grades into valley mire. In places these mires take the form of quaking bogs, which are waterlogged peat covered by vegetation and at first it is quite unnerving to walk in them, as you seem to treading on a sponge that quickly fills with water. The main component of a New Forest quaking bog is sphagnum moss in which plants such as Cross leaved Heath (Erica tetralix), bog myrtle (Myrica gale) and Bog Asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum) grow. Quaking bogs can be a hazardous place for the naturalist and especially for the photographer. It is best not to spent too much time in one place in these bogs because if you do, your wellington boots will sink further in and then you might become a permanent fixture of the mire.

There are a number of special insects of these New Forest bogs but perhaps the most impressive is the rare Large Marsh Grasshopper, Stethophyma grossum. When disturbed, which is the best way to find this species, it will fly some distance and the spot must be noted where it lands and then stealth is needed on the spongy surface to get close to this insect. Some individuals will time and time again fly away at your approach to tempt you further into the bog. S. grossum is not the only Orthoptera here, it is joined by the scarce Bog bush cricket, Metrioptera brachyptera and the Long winged conehead Conocephalus discolor. The latter species also occurs in dry grassland.

S. grossum is a rare insect in Britain being virtually confined to a few Dorset and New Forest Mires. The females are larger than the males and occur in two colour forms. Now it is September and few other marsh insects were noted and there were a few Hymenoptera on the dry heathlands nearby.

My thoughts turned to my new sweep net that had arrived the day before from Watkins and Doncaster. This net ingeniously opens and closes like an umbrella. A metal rod supports the opened net, which is some 46cm wide, with a strong canvas bag and outer metal rim, excellent for sweeping hidden insects out of grass and heather and probably snakes and mammals too! But what a 'length' was my new professional sweep net, it came as a surprise to find that it was as long as a large sized gentleman's brolly and my wellington, camera and drink carrying rucksack, just could not unfortunately contain another large item, so it was left behind.

All photographs below taken during two visits to the same New Forest area, late August - early September 2017.

Below. A New Forest quaking bog. Habitat of Stethophyma grossum and Metrioptera brachyptera.



Below Stethophyma grossum female.



Below. Stethophyma grossum females light colour form.



Below. Stethophyma grossum males.



Below. Metrioptera brachyptera.



Below. Conocephalus discolor.

[Adam Cotton]

Superb article and photos. Thanks very much for posting for our enjoyment and education.

Adam.

[nomad]

Thank you Adam, I am pleased your liked the post. I was able to photograph a few other late summer insects that inhabit these New Forest bogs.

Below. Keeled Skimmer, Orthetrum coerulescens Fabricius, 1798 male. Common in the forest bogs. The female is brown.



Below. The Froghopper, Philaenus spumarius Linn, 1758. Family Aphrophoridae, Order Hemiptera. Occurs in different colour forms, a common species.



Diptera.

Below. Exorista larvarum, Linn, 1758. Family Tachinidae. Widespread but a local species. Endoparasitoid of certain moth species.



Below. The Cranefly, Pedicia rivosa, Linn, 1758. Family Pediciidae. Confined to marshes. A widespread species.



Below. The dung-fly. Scathophaga suilla Fabricius, 1794. Family Scathophagidae.  Very local in Southern England, frequent in Wales and parts of Northern England and Scotland.