Invertebrate identification session

On a lovely July day fifteen people joined the Fellfoot Forward team and invertebrate expert, Steve Hewitt, on Melmerby village green to learn some more about the tinier inhabitants of the grassland.

Melmerby green is a Special Invertebrate Site. The flower rich grassland supports a variety of pollinator food plants that attract invertebrate species. The beck running through the site provides damp habitats for dragonflies and water beetles while the woodland and riparian tree areas provide shade and shelter for a range of invertebrates.

Steve began by showing all the techniques and tools that are used to sample invertebrates, from magnifying hand lenses to pooters, which are sampling pots with tubes you can suck small critters into without hurting them. He then demonstrated how to use a sweep net to take a sample of insects in the specific habitat selected, like the tree canopy or the tall grass. Surprisingly, the best way to have a good look at what is collected in the net is to put the net on top of your head which will cause the insects to head up towards the light.

The group encountered many insects; bugs, beetles, flies, wasps, bees, butterflies and more. A highlight was finding an elephant hawk moth caterpillar within a clump of willowherb. The large and reptilian looking creature becomes a stunning looking moth.

The aim of the event was to encourage people to take more notice of the invertebrates around them and help them begin to identify the insects and make records in the area.