Friends of Troopers Hill
Invertebrate Surveys & Reports

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Brief summaries and links to the reports of invertebrate surveys carried out on the hill appear below, there are also photographs showing some of the moths (note these were taken on other sites).

More photos of invertebrates taken on Troopers Hill >>

Photos of Mining Bees on Troopers Hill >>

 List of 84 species of bees recorded on Troopers Hill - updated March 2024

Bristol Naturalists visit 22nd August 2021

Organised by Maico Weites, Bristol Nats spent a morning on Troopers Hill with their sweep nets.

There were Loads of broom treehopers (Gargara genistae) and many other speices.

The visit had been postponed from earlier in the month due to rain during what has been a damp August.

 BNS Field Meeting Report - August 2021

 BNS Species List - August 2021

Invertebrate Survey by David Gibbs 2019

Consultant Entomologist and Naturalist David Gibbs carried out the invertebrate surveys of Troopers Hill in 2000, 2006 & 2007 (see below), so we were especially pleased that he was able to carry out a further survey as part of our Ways to Nature Project in 2019.

Over four visits to Troopers Hill David recorded 321 species of invertebrates. This included 44 species of bee, 6 of which had not been included on our records for Troopers Hill before.

83 (corrected from 84) species of bee have now been recorded on Troopers Hill Local Nature Reserve out of aroundover 270 species of bee in Great Britain and Ireland.

Of the 321 species recorded this year, 83 were Hymenoptera (wasps, bees, and ants) - David notes that this is

"considerably better than found on most surveys highlighting the importance of Troopers Hill for bees wasps and ants".

30 'Key Species' were recorded, four of them of RDB (Red Data Book) quality, David states that

"9.3% is a relatively high proportion of scarce and rare species, but entirely expected from this site and in line with previous surveys".

 Gibbs, D.J. Invertebrate Monitoring of Troopers Hill, Bristol 2019

 Response to issues raised in Invertebrate Monitoring Report - Jan 2020

Bristol & Moth Group - 19th May 2017

It wasn't an ideal night for moths, but as darkness fell the traps attracted a steady flow of flying visitors. 31 different spieces of moths were recorded "nothing earth-shattering but respectable given the cool breeze".

This event was open to the public and some photographs can be seen here.

 Bristol Moth Group Field Meeting report - 19th May 2017

 

Bee Survey - July 2015

"It was great to visit a site which is so obviously valued and actively conserved"

David Notton, Senior Curator (Hymenoptera) from the Natural History Museum visited Troopers Hill along with other sites in Bristol to carry out a DEFRA sponsored survey of bees to provide a publicly accessible reference for identification using rapid DNA techniques. David found 4 bees that we think have not been recorded before on Troopers Hill, his full list recorded over two visits in early July is mainly bees but includes a few other inverts which he could easily identify or appeared important.

The 4 new bee species are
• Ceratina cyanea (blue carpenter bee)
• Hylaeus dilatatus (chalk yellow face)
• Lasioglossum smeathmanellum (Smeathman's furrow bee)
• Nomada flavopicta (Blunthorn nomad)


 David Notton Bee Survey Results - July 2015

Bristol & Moth Group Field Meeting - 18th July 2014

Good numbers of P. xylostella but no other migrants. The Nationally Notable plume moth G. ochrodactyla was netted at dusk around its foodplant Tansy by RH. True Lover’s Knot presumably feeds on the heather growing on the site.

This event was open to the public and some photographs can be seen here.

Bristol Moth Group Field Meeting report - 18th July 2014

David Gibbs Invertebrate Survey 2007

This survey was funded as part of our Big Lottery Breathing Places Project. David Gibbs completed the invertebrate survey with site visits on on 19 April, 24 May, 19 June & 18 July. The four visits of yielded 262 species of which 30 are considered to be of conservation significance and 6 have RDB or equivalent status. This was excellent news and confirms that Troopers Hill is one of the best sites for invertebrates in the area.

 D Gibbs Invertebrate Survey Report 2007

Bristol & District Moth Group Field Meeting - 26th May 2006

Nothing unusual was found this year, but each survey adds to our knowledge of the reserve. Again this event was open to the public and some photographs can be seen on our events page.

 Moth Group - full report and species list 2006

David Gibbs Invertebrate Survey 2006

This survey was funded by Bristol Parks.

Report Summary:

Of the 276 species found, 23 of them are considered to be of conservation significance. This is a proportion of 8.3% which places Troopes Hill amongst the most important reserves in the region. Five of the species found (1.8%) have RDB or equivalent status, further confirming the importance of the site.

Phytomyza sedi a tiny dull blackish leaf-mining fly, recorded for the first time in Britain.

 D Gibbs Invertebrate Survey Report 2006

Bristol Naturalists’ Society Invertebrate Section Field Meeting - 2nd July 2005

This was one of Bristol Naturalists' regular field meetings and we are pleased they chose to visit Troopers Hill this year.

 BNS Field Meeting Report with list of species found 2005.

Report Summary:

Examples of the bristletail Dilta sp. were common, swept from low growing dense vegetation. Specimens were not taken for identification but many were light orange in colouration. The bug Myrmus miriformis, although not uncommon, is restricted to quality grassland sites. Sitochroa verticalis is a local moth of “waste land” although sometimes reinforced by immigration. The click beetle P. tesselatum is very local in the region, only known from a few other sites in “Avon” eg Gordano Valley. The Kidney-spot Ladybird is widespread but local although probably under-recorded as it is found mainly on trees. The Leaf Beetle Cryptocephalus aureolus is Nationally Notable (Nb) and very local in the region (also recorded by Dave Gibbs in 2000).

Bristol & District Moth Group Field Meeting - 18th June 2005

This event was part of our Evening Moth Hunt (see our Events page for photos). As well as entertaining local people of all ages late into the night the main aim was to record the different species of moth present on the hill. Three moth traps were set, their bright lights attracted the moths which were then identified. Some were caught in sample tubes for closer examination but all were then released unharmed. We believe that this was the first time moth traps had been set on the hill and we hope that it will not be the last. Regular monitoring of different species over time will tell us whether our management of the hill is succeeding in maintaining (or increasing) the range of species present.

The report on the evening includes a list of all 92 moths found. Six photographs of these moths are shown below and these are highlighted in blue on the list. The most interesting macro-moth of the night was probably the Red-necked Footman which occurs locally across the region in woodland and occasionally appears as a migrant. The larvae feed on lichens growing on deciduous trees.

 Moth Group Field Meeting Report 2005

David Gibbs 2000 Invertebrate Survey

This survey was funded by Bristol Parks.

Report Summary:

- 137 species found, a good diversity for a site of this type and size

- 13 Nationally Scarce and RDB species identified, 9.5% of total, higher than all but the very best sites in the region

- the endangered RDB1 nomad bee Nomada guttulata found

- the site pre-eminently important for the Hymenoptera

- bare ground caused by erosion very important for nesting bees and wasps

- broom and gorse support very scarce insects

 D Gibbs Invertebrate Survey Report 2000

Photographs of six of the moths seen on 18th June 2005
(with thanks to Steve Ogden)

White ErminePeppered Moth
White Ermine & Peppered Moth

Green Silver LinesSmall Elephant Hawk Moth
Green Silver Lines & Small Elephant Hawk Moth

Small MagpieBrimstone Moth
Small Magpie & Brimstone Moth

Photos of Mining Bees on Troopers Hill >>

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