Press Release

Press Release: Tuesday 20 July 2010

Little pond skater makes it big at BioBlitz

The diminutive Little Pond Skater was just one of 565 species of flora and fauna discovered at the Lincolnshire BioBlitz event

More than 100 people took part in the fifth annual BioBlitz at the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Headquarters, Banovallum House in Horncastle. On Friday 9 July and Saturday 10 July, naturalists and members of the public spent 24 hours searching for and identifying as many different species as possible. Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Public Relations Officer, Rachel Shaw, said: "We are delighted with how many species were recorded during the event. In 2010, the year declared by the UN as International Year of Biodiversity, it is a timely reminder of how much wildlife, how much biodiversity, lives in our towns and gardens. "The grounds of Banovallum House include lawns, flower beds, mature trees, meadows, a pond and a small river but cover just one hectare.  Within this small area, about the size of a rugby pitch, we managed to find and identify 565 different species in just 24 hours. All together, a total of 961 different species have been recorded in the grounds of Banovallum House. Many of these are species that are all around us but without making a special effort to look we just don’t notice them." Highlights of the discoveries made at the BioBlitz included: The little pond skater (Gerris argentatus) a pond dwelling insect with long legs that walks on the surface of the water. Not previously seen at Banovallum House, this species is very rare in Lincolnshire and rare nationally. The wasp Cleptes semiauratus, only 6mm long, metallic blue, red and orange, and parasitic on sawfly larvae. It is nationally scarce and previously only recorded in Lincolnshire on three occasions in 1941, 1950 and 1992. 161 species of moth, 91 of which that hadn’t previously been recorded at Banovallum House and, including four species of the large and impressive hawk-moths: elephant hawk-moth, privet hawk-moth, eyed hawk-moth and poplar hawk-moth. Four species of bat: common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, daubenton’s and noctule. Noctule bat was a new record for the site. The lesser water boatman (Hesperocorixa linnei), a new record for Banovallum House for a species that is associated with ponds that are drying out, perhaps indicating how dry the weather has been recently. Over 24 hours, 565 different species were found and identified. 1    fungi 8    lichens 6    mosses and liverworts 1    horsetail 196  flowering plants 20  slugs and snails 1    earthworms 1    leech 1    millipedes and centipedes 1    mayfly 6    dragonflies and damselflies 1    grasshopper 1    earwig 39  true bugs 1    lacewings 27  beetles  14  butterflies 161 moths 2    caddisflies 7    true flies 26  sawflies/ants/bees/wasps 5    crustaceans (woodlice, & freshwater shrimp) 3    spiders  5    fish 24  birds 7    mammals   Of the species recorded, 200 (35%) had not been seen in the gardens before. The Lincolnshire BioBlitz is organised by the Lincolnshire Biodiversity Partnership, Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Previous BioBlitz events at Banovallum House recorded 476 species in 2009, 357 in 2008, 326 in 2007, and 250 in 2006. It is part of a programme of BioBlitz events taking place across the UK in celebration of the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity. See: The Lincolnshire BioBlitz pages of our website

Notes to Editors

1. 2010 has been declared the International Year of Biodiversity by the United Nations – the year that celebrates the diversity of life on Earth, including every plant, animal and micro-organism. Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, is essential to sustaining the living networks and systems that provide us all with health, wealth, food, fuel and the vital services our lives depend on. Human activity is causing the diversity of life on Earth to be lost at a greatly accelerated rate. These losses are irreversible, impoverish us all and damage the life support systems we rely on every day. But we can prevent them. www.biodiversityislife.net
   
   
2. The Lincolnshire Biodiversity Partnership brings together local authorities, statutory agencies, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations with a responsibility for and interest in biodiversity in the historic county of Lincolnshire.  The partnership coordinates action, information and protection and provides services for partner organisations through the Biodiversity Action Plan, Environmental Records Centre and Local Wildlife Sites.  The Lincolnshire Biodiversity Partnership is independent of any of its constituent organisations. www.lincsbiodiversity.org.uk 
   
   
3. The Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union is the only amateur Natural History Society covering the whole of Lincolnshire. Members study, record, hold meetings, supply information, publish books, exhibit, discuss and learn. www.lnu.org 
   
   
4. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and wild places throughout the historic county of Lincolnshire – from the Humber to the Wash. The Trust is Lincolnshire’s leading nature conservation charity with over 25,000 members and around 100 nature reserves. The Trust is a member of a nationwide network of 47 local trusts which work to protect wildlife - The Wildlife Trusts. www.lincstrust.org.uk
   
   
5. The Wildlife Trusts. There are 47 Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney. We are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone.  With nearly 800,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK’s habitats and species, whether they be in the countryside, in cities or at sea. 135,000 of our members belong to our junior branch, Wildlife Watch.  We manage 2,256 nature reserves covering more than 90,000 hectares; we stand up for wildlife; we inspire people about the natural world and we foster sustainable living. Visit www.wildlifetrusts.org

 

For further information please contact

Rachel Shaw, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01507 526667   (ansaphone out of office hours)
Fax: 01507 525732
Email: Rachel Shaw

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Banovallum House
Manor House Street
Horncastle
Lincolnshire LN9 5HF

Website: www.lincstrust.org.uk