Blue House Farm EWT Reserve, North Fambridge : During a work party on March 23rd we came across several large gatherings of 22 Spot Ladybirds Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata overwintering at the base of rotten fence posts in TQ8797. These compliment similar discoveries last spring in TQ8696 and TQ8697. On that occasion we found them in great abundance, numbers varying between 200 and 500 per fence post and numbering many thousands in total. They were wintering at ground level or just below, pressed together either in the rotten wood or in the air spaces created by its disintegration. The Club is currently conducting a survey of common ladybirds, this species among them, and none have been recorded so far in any of these three squares; although I presume the map more accurately reflects the distribution of observers rather than the distribution of 22 Spot Ladybirds! A week later a second species of ladybird, the 14-Spot Propylea 14-punctata, was found in the same habitat, several dozen being disturbed from the base of a rotten fence post in TQ8697.
During similar work on March 22nd three Common Lizards were also found wintering at the base of rotten fence posts.
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