Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 22h

A Southern Green Shieldbug from scrub in the Rainham Dock East part of Riverside Country Park in Rainham (Kent) yesterday. #bugs #Truebugs #Hemiptera #KentNature

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Reposted by Richard Moyse

Annie Leymarie @annieleymarie.bsky.social · 1d

Craig Bennett, CEO of the Wildlife Trusts: “It is... shocking to hear the chancellor boast allowing people with privileged access to try & circumvent some of the processes that have been put in place by parliament, & to hear how she just dismisses ecological science as if it somehow doesn’t matter.”

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

Rachel Reeves clears planning blockage amid ‘good relationship’ with developer

Chancellor says 20,000 homes were being held up due to ‘some snails that are a protected species or something’ Rachel Reeves unblocked a development of 20,000 homes that were being held up by a rare snail, after being approached by a developer with whom she said, “we have a good relationship”. The government has been working on planning reforms that nature experts say put wildlife at risk. The reforms could include discarding the EU-derived habitats regulations that protect rare animals, and adding more pro-building amendments to the planning and infrastructure bill, which is going through parliament. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 1d

We always knew that Labour cares about little else other than keeping private developers happy.

But here's proof showing off to JP Morgan despite destruction of some of the "rarest creatures in our country."

Let's make that description Labour votes.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Rachel Reeves clears planning blockage amid ‘good relationship’ with developer

Exclusive: Chancellor says 20,000 homes were being held up due to ‘some snails that are a protected species or something’

www.theguardian.com

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 4d

A good thread here.

Alexander Lees @alexanderlees.bsky.social · 5d

More ill thought out 'conservation' translocations 🌍
www.theguardian.com/environment/... - so much to unpack here #Ornithology #UKBirding 🧵

‘It proves this can be done’: Berlin the blueprint to bring goshawks to UK cities

Conservationist plans release of 15 each of the apex predators sourced as chicks into Chester and London

www.theguardian.com

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 7d

Cor. Great song.

Great tash.

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Reposted by Richard Moyse

Abigail Lowe @abigaillowe.bsky.social · 7d

We've been engaging farmers with moth monitoring from the Chilterns to Pembrokeshire. Using portable bucket traps and an AI based app - farmers love uncovering hidden biodiversity!

Read my blog here:
www.ceh.ac.uk/news-and-med...

@ukceh.bsky.social @mjopocock.bsky.social

#mothsmatter #TeamMoth

Engaging farmers in moth monitoring to support biodiversity

UKCEH has recently been working with farmers to monitor biodiversity on their land using innovative equipment and simple recording methods to make moth trapping accessible to all. What started in the ...

www.ceh.ac.uk

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Kent Field Club @kentfieldclub.bsky.social · 8d

Not long now till the Kent Wildlife Conference. Have you booked your (very reasonably priced) place? Ten speakers, covering bees, botany, beavers and much more, plus lunch and refreshments all included. Let's all meet IRL!

Book now at tinyurl.com/kentwildconf.

#KentWildlife

Kent Wildlife Conference

Saturday 25th October Kent Wildlife Conference 10am to 4pm. At the Darwin Conference Suite, Darwin College, University of Kent. Register by scrolling down and clicking the 'Register' button. Or...

tinyurl.com

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 9d

Also from Castle Coote yesterday, this smart-looking Short-winged Conehead male. What it was doing right out on the saltmarsh, I'm not sure. #Orthoptera #ukorthoptera #KentNature

A green bush-cricket with short brown wings which only reach about half-way along its abdomen. Its pointed head (to the left) explains why it is called a 'conehead'.

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 9d

... thanks FOR allowing ... (D'oh!)

Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 9d

And many thanks to @kentwildlife.bsky.social was allowing access to this normally closed site.

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 9d

On yesterday's @kentfieldclub.bsky.social meeting at Castle Foote on the North Kent coast, I was really pleased to find the rare ground bug Henestaris halophilus in numbers across the saltmarsh. Habitat shot has notes in alt text. #bugs #truebugs #Hemiptera #KentNature @britishbugs.bsky.social

A small, brown bug on the fabric of an insect net. Its head, with eyes on protruding stalks, is lower left.

A stretch upper saltmarsh sward, consisting of a mix of grasses and fairly low-growing Sea-purslane. The bug was swept easily from this vegetation. However, it was not found where Sea-purslane grew in dense, shrubby, single-species stands.

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Reposted by Richard Moyse

David W. Williams @vc40orthops.bsky.social · 11d

Male & female Stripe-winged Grasshoppers seen last week at Crickley Hill CP in Gloucs. Males are less strikingly marked than females (though with redder tails) but the very broad forewing with elongated cells in the dark central area and a prominent white 'stigma' can be seen in both sexes.

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 13d

Some of the seven Spurgebug nymphs on the front wall of the house this pm. Presumably must be Dicranocephalus medius as we're on the North Downs in Kent. #bugs #truebugs #Hemiptera #KentNature

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 13d

See also 'Bee of the Bird of the Moth' by the above-mentioned.

Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 13d

NYC's finest with one of the greatest invertebrate-themed songs ever.

They Might Be Giants @tmbg.bsky.social · 13d

TMBG on Kimmel!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pnO...

They Might Be Giants – Doctor Worm

YouTube video by Jimmy Kimmel Live

www.youtube.com

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The Green Party of England & Wales @greenparty.org.uk · 14d

Labour haven't learned any lessons from the past and are looking to involve private finance in the building of new 'neighbourhood health centres'.

And Reform can't wait to sell off our precious NHS.

Only the Green Party stands for a health service run for people, not profit.

NO PLACE FOR PRIVATE PROFIT
REAL HOPE. REAL CHANGE.
Green Party
Promoted by Chris Williams on behalf of The Green Party, both at PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 14d

Excited to get my copy of Endemic by @bsbicountries.bsky.social today. Not because *ahem* I'm in the chapter on Interrupted Brome, but because of the many other spp & subsp to explore - some of which (like Great Orme's Graylings) I realise I've already seen without realising their significance.

Cover of a book: 'Endemic - Exploring the Wildlife Unique to Britain' by Kames Harding-Morris.

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 15d

There's Common Earwig, Lesser Earwig, Short-winged (or Hop-garden) Earwig, and Lesne's Earwig, plus two or three introduced species that have occasionally or historically been recorded. But the Common Earwig is by far the most common and widespread of these.

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 16d

Spent the afternoon in part of the new North Kent Woods & Downs NNR. Was looking for Hop-garden Earwig (a no-show) but did find some nice bugs: Iassus scutellaris, Vernal Shieldbug Peribalus strictus & Asiraca clavicornis. #KentNature #NNR #bugs #Hemiptera @naturalengland.bsky.social

A view from Ranscombe Farm towards Luddesdown. Most of what's visible in the picture is core NNR or associated land. Rough grassland in the foreground, woods and open grassland in the background.

Iassus scutellaris - a leaf-hopper with green body and brown head, on an Elm leaf.

Vernal Shieldbug Peribalus strictus. A mid-sized shieldbug with a largely brown body and characteristic pale margins to the 'shoulders' of the pronotum.

Asiraca clavicornis, an unusual looking planthopper with expanded antennae and leaf-like front legs.

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 16d

What very much appears to be European Spruce Sawfly Gilpinia hercyniae, tapped from a spruce at the weekend. Apparently the first Kent record. #KentNature #sawfly #sawflies #Symphyta

A green caterpillar with white longitudinal stripes and a yellowish head with dark markings. Amongst brown conifer needles on a piece of white fabric.

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 16d

Hoop, hoop, hoop.

Just sayin'.

Badge, 'birders against fascism', featuring two hoopoes - "hoop, hoop, hoop, to fight fascism, let's regroup."

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 19d

One of two pairs of Willow Emerald Damselflies hanging round our small garden pond this afternoon. #Damselfly #Damselflies #Odonata #pondlife #KentNature

Two bronzy-green damsel flies, in tandem (the male holding the back of the females head using claspers on the end of his abdomen), on a plant stem.

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 19d

... while the astonishing and ancient misericords in St Mary's Church suggest that the natural world loomed very large in the Medieval imagination. #Beverley #misericords

A misericord (a sort of decorated rest used by monks during long services) with a carving of a woodwose (a kind of hairy wildman figure carrying a club) standing between two lions.

Another misericord decorated with the foliate head of a king. The king has a large crown and waved beard, and vegetation emerges from each side of his mouth.

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 19d

Tussock-sedges reflected in the Beverley Beck, during an excellent bus-and-train powered trip to Hull and Beverley this week ... #Beverley #Yorkshire #sedges

A line of gonk-like Tussock-sedge plants, matched by their reflection in the still water in the foreground.

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 23d

... and I should add that the whole series of 'Wilding for Conservation articles has been fantastic.

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