Wildlife fans buzzing as rare bugs found

Wildlife enthusiasts are buzzing after discovering colonies of rare insects during a survey of woodland streams across Staffordshire.

Experts at Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, based at Wolseley Bridge, have recorded five sightings of a rare hoverfly and one of a scarce cranefly over the last few months.

The Riverwood Hoverfly was not recorded at all in Staffordshire until 2004 and the Northern Yellow Splinter Cranefly has only been recorded in the county four times.

Trust senior wetlands ecologist Nick Mott said the survey results were very encouraging.

He said: "The survey covered a fairly small sample of Staffordshire's woodland streams, ranging from the River Churnet at Tittesworth Water to small tributaries of the River Severn on the Worcestershire and Shropshire borders near Kinver.

"Many of these sites – which are called drumbles, dingles, pingles, cloughs or sprinks – are often small, steep-sided headwater streams running through unmanaged woodlands.

"These are the conditions that the rare insects we have identified favour.

"The findings are exciting because they are good indicators of habitat quality.

"They tell us that we have some genuinely wild places in parts of rural Staffordshire. "One of the common denominators in all the sites surveyed was the presence of trees and branches in the watercourse.

"In the past, woody debris has been removed but now the trust will be leaving it in place, if possible, to encourage these species to thrive."

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust will be continuing its woodland streams survey next spring, from April to June.

Any landowners, farmers or managers of land are invited to volunteer their land for a survey by contacting Nick Mott on 01889 880123 or e-mail n.mott@staffs-wildlife.org.uk

Each site owner receives a copy of the survey results, plus recommendations on how best to manage the land. Advice about eligibility for grant schemes, such as Environmental Stewardship or the England Woodland grant, can also be arranged.

The trust produces a guidance booklet on managing woodland streams, which can be downloaded from the library section of www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk

The survey findings come as the trust celebrates National Insect Week, which is to include a family "creepie-crawlies day" on Saturday.

The event is being held at Shoal Hill Common, on the edge of Cannock Chase, from 11am to 3pm.

Activities include mini-beast hunting and making bug houses and model dragonflies.

More information is available by calling Shaun Rimmer on 01889 880100.