This species, which usually occurs on window ledges on the north side of churches, was first found in Sussex by Francis Rose and Peter James on mortar on Pagham Church in 1990. Since then, it has been found at several other sites in Sussex. Its British headquarters is south-eastern England.
Location / Grid ref. / Last seen West Thorney Church SU769024 1990 Boxgrove Priory SU907075 1990 Pagham Churchyard SZ883976 1993 Bramber Churchyard TQ186106 2001 Hamsey Church TQ413121 2001 Rodmell Church TQ421062 1990 Pevensey Castle TQ644048 1990 Camber Castle TQ921184 1997
I had never heard if this lichen, so I looked it up. It is now called Paralecanographa grumulosa and it is considered Nationally Scarce by the British Lichen Society
There are many more interesting lichens on the walls of this church. I have detailed some of them here. This is very far from a complete survey of the lichens of the church; these are just what I found on a two-hour visit.
North Wall
Paralecanographa grumulosa in the surrounds of windows of north walls of churches.
The fact that its apothecia were large, roundish and elongate, black, and partially immersed. with grey pruina (see description in Dorset Lichens) made it obvious that this was P. grumulosa, even though I had never seen it before, as the description of its apothecia is unlike any other lichen I know. However, I did do a chemical reagent test, and a tiny drop of sodium hypochlorite turned its thallus red.
Also on the north wall was another rare lichen: Ingaderia vandenboomii. Rare, on vertical coastal siliceous rocks and on north facing church walls. BLS conservation evaluation: Least Concern but Nationally Scarce
When its thin, sightly uneven thallus is white-pink it is fairly easy to spot by overall appearance; but the thallus is not always white-pink. However, a tiny drop of sodium hypochlorite turned its thallus instantly red
Xanthoria parietina Golden Shield Lichen
Tephromela atra Black-eye Lichen
Myriolecis dispersa Mortar Rim Lichen
Variospora flavescensLimestone Lobed Firedot
West Wall
Variospora flavescens Limestone Lobed Firedot
Verrucaria nigrescens
Myriolecis albescens
South Wall
Verrucaria viridula
Myriolecis albescens
Variospora flavescensLimestone Lobed Firedot
Clauzadea monticola
East Wall
Sarcogyne regularis Frosted Grain-spored Lichen
Even if you are not interested in lichens, St Nicholas is a very beautiful example of early norman architecture sited in a spectacular location next to the ruined Norman Bramber Castle
Bramber church stands on the same mound as the ruined castle and William de Braose, Lord of the Rape of Bramber, founded both. … The finest C11 work is in the crossing .. The capitals are carved with volutes, heads and in one case the story of the fox and geese. George Zarnecki (Zarnecki (1951) sees their flat carving, which is subordinated to the shape of the capitals, as further evidence of their C11 date. Bramber St. Nicholas’ Sussex Parish Churches
I make an annual pilgrimage to see the Silver Studded Blue butterflies at Iping Common. The Silver-Studded Blue, Plebejus argus, fly from the beginning of June to the middle of August; so there is only a small time window to see them each year. In Sussex they are entirely restricted to heathland. I get to Iping by public transport: I take the train from Brighton to Chichester ; the bus (60) from Chichester to Midhurst and then the bus 92 from Midhurst to Iping Common. Silver-Studded Blues can be seen only be seen at Chapel Common, Iping Common, Stedham Common and Ashdown Forest (camp Hill).
But in addition to Silver-studied blues I saw a plethora of other insects: other butterflies & moths, bees, wasps, flies, grasshoppers & dragonflies at Iping Common and Iping Village
The sandy soils of the Lowland Heaths (commons) of the greensand of Western Sussex (and Surrey and Hampshire) provide an extremely propitious habitat for insects, particularly mining solitary bees and wasps
Butterflies and Moths (order Lepidoptera)
Plebejus argus Silver-studded Blue
Distribution map from Michael Blencowe and Neil Hume, 2017, The Butterflies of Sussex: A Twenty-First Century Atlas p.278
The Silver-studded Blue is now the only species of butterfly which is intimately associated with the heathlands of Sussex, being part of an iconic fauna which includes the Nightjar, Dartford Warbler and Adder. Despite a huge contraction in its range, through decades of habitat loss and neglect, this colonial species remains numerous in its last remaining strongholds. It has become emblematic of attempts to restore and reconnect the remnants of our lowland heaths and provides an excellent indicator species for such recovery programmes. Michael Blencowe and Neil Hume, 2017,The Butterflies of Sussex: A Twenty-First Century Atlas p.278
Section 41 species of principal importance under the NERC Act in England
GB Red List (2022): Vulnerable
Protected under Schedule 5 of the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act (for sale only
I saw about 40 individuals
Male
Female
Maniola jurtina Meadow Brown
Aricia agestis Brown Argus
Saturnia pavonia Emperor Moth
Solitary Wasps (orderHymenoptera)
Astata boops Shieldbug Digger Wasp
A parasitoid wasp Reuter used it [parasitoid] to describe the strategy where the parasite develops in or on the body of a single host individual, eventually killing that host, while the adult is free-living. Godfray, H. C. J. 1994 Parasitoids : behavioral and evolutionary ecology
Mainly sandy localities, such as inland heaths and coastal dunes.Flight period: Univoltine [one brood]; June to August.Prey collected Nymphs of pentatomid bugs [Shield Bugs or Stink Bugs] (Heteroptera).Nesting biology: According to Tsuneki (cited by Lomholdt, 1975-76) the nest is a burrow about 10 cm long terminating in one to three cells, which are placed one after the other as simple dilations of the tunnel. There are sometimes side branches, so that the nest may have as many as 12 cells. The female wasp flies the prey to the nest, where it is stored near the sealed nest entrance until there is sufficient to provision several cells. The egg is laid on the first stored bug in each cell.BWARS Astata boops
Hedychrum sp. A Jewel-Wasp, either H. nobile or H niemelai
Recorded from Cornwall to Kent and north to Oxfordshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire. Also found in Jersey. … The name Hedychrum niemelai has been applied to both H. neimelai and H. nobile in the past. … Separation of specimens is difficult, but possible. Habitat: Open sandy localities: lowland heaths, coastal dunes, cliffs with sandy deposits, and other disturbed locations, for example sandpits, footpaths and railway cuttings. Adults fly in bright sunshine around nesting sites of the hosts and feed at the nectaries and extra-floral nectaries of flowering plants. Flight period: Probably univoltine; mainly during July and August, but also during June and September and rarely during May.BWARS Hedychrum niemelai
Hedychrum nobile (Scopoli) was a species new to Great Britain in 2016 when first recognised in south-east England from specimens dating back to 1998 and 2003. It has been moving northwards throughout Britain over the past 24 years and has successfully colonised eastern and central England. This brood-parasitic chrysidid wasp continues to spread northwards into the East and West Midlands following the distribution of its preferred host, Cerceris arenaria [Sand Tailed Digger Wasp – see below] (L.). In total, 57 specimens of this new colonist have been identified from the West Midlands during field sampling undertaken in 2022. …
Despite the morphological and habitat-specific similarities between H. nobile, H. niemelai and H. rutilans all species exhibit differences in their ecology and parasitic biology. As brood parasites, jewel-wasps will seek out the nesting cells of a specific host before entering into their underground chambers to lay an egg hidden within the walls of the cell. On hatching, the brood parasite’s egg develops into a parasitoid larva that consumes and subsequently destroys the mature larva or prepupa of its host (Polidori et al., 2010). Jewel-wasps are heavily armoured to carry out this clepto-parasitism and can adopt a rolled up defensive posture when threatened or disturbed (Fig. 2d) (Bolton & Gauld, 1988; Early, 2015). Aaron Bhambra 2023 The Range Expansion Of The Noble Jewel-Wasp, Hedychrum Nobile (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae), A Recent Colonist To Great Britain The British Journal of Entomology and Natural History 36: 2023
Genus Ammophila Thread-waisted Sand Wasps, possibly Ammophila sabulosam Red-belted Sand Wasp
Habitat: This wasp inhabits heathland, dunes and other coastal areas. Flight periodJune-September. Nesting biology A detailed study of the behaviour and ecology of marked A. sabulosa females has been made at a Breckland heathland site (Field, 1992). Nests usually occur at relatively low densities. Normally, a female digs a short burrow, ending in a horizontal cell, in bare or sparsely vegetated sand. Later, she temporarily closes the nest entrance using sand and tiny stones, then hunts for lepidopteran caterpillars in vegetation. About half of all cells are provisioned with just one large caterpillar, which is carried back on foot as it is sometimes more than ten times as heavy as the wasp. Other cells are provisioned with two to five smaller caterpillars (see Olberg, 1959). An egg is laid on the first caterpillar provisioned and rarely hatches before permanent closure of the nest burrow. After the last caterpillar has been interred the wasp permanently closes the burrow with a much deeper plug of sand, and camouflages the entrance with debris so that it is invisible to the human eye. All nests are unicellular. The whole nesting cycle, from searching for a digging site to closing the nest permanently after provisioning, takes an average of eight to ten hours of activity. Marked females each dug and provisioned up to ten nests during a summer.One of the most interesting aspects of this species’ behaviour is that almost all females, as well as digging their own burrows and hunting for prey, parasitise the freshly provisioned nests of other A. sabulosa. When a female detects a conspecific’s nest she digs through the closure plug and enters. If the nest is empty, she quickly comes out and re-closes it; but if it contains prey, she either steals one of the prey items, or eats the host’s egg, replacing it with her own (brood parasitism). Some 28% of eggs laid in their own nests are later destroyed by conspecific brood-parasites and prey thieves. Some nests are brood-parasitised up to four times, each time by a different female. Miltogrammine flies (Metopia spp.) destroy another 5% of A. sabulosa eggs, so that overall only about two-thirds survive to hatch. BWARS Ammophila sabulosa
Philanthus triangulum European Beewolf
Less than 20 years ago, this magnificent wasp, commonly known as the ‘bee wolf’ or ‘bee-killer’ was considered to be one of the great aculeate rarities in Britain. Records for the last few years indicate that currently the species is locally common to abundant in a steadily increasing number of sites in southern England, with a single record for north Wales (Else, 1993a, 1995a,b,e).
Habitat: Generally, sand dunes and lowland heaths. However, nesting aggregations have recently been found in a park in Ipswich, Suffolk, and on the Battersea Bridge roundabout, Greater London. Flight period: From early July to mid-September. In England there appears to be a single brood, but in central Europe a second generation is known (Lomholdt, 1975).
Prey collected: The major prey species throughout the world range of this wasp is the worker honey bee (Apis mellifera), and in some regions the wasp may greatly reduce the local populations (El-Borollosy, Wafa & El-Hefny, 1972). There are, however, reports of other bees being utilised: for example in Britain, Andrena flavipes and Lasioglossum zonulus (Smith, 1851a), and a Nomada sp. (C O’Toole, pers. comm.).
Nesting biology: This wasp nests in both level sandy exposures and in vertical soil faces. Some nesting aggregations may number as many as 15,000 burrows (Else 1995a,b). The main nest burrow may be up to 1 m in length, with 3-34 short lateral burrows at the end, each terminating in a cell (Lomholdt, 1975). The prey is paralysed by being stung through the articular membranes immediately behind the front legs (Rathmayer, 1962). Returning females, clutching the prey with their legs, often hover above the nest burrow before slowly descending to it.BWARS Philanthus triangulum
Flies (order Diptera)
Thyridanthrax fenestratus Mottled Bee-Fly
The Mottled Bee-Fly (Thyridanthrax fenestratus) is not something you see everyday. .. The Mottled Bee-Fly requires sandy or gravelly locations as it relies on the host wasp which creates its burrows in these areas. Damage to the burrows of the host wasp and loss of suitable habitats for the wasp has meant the Bee-Fly has previously been under threat. The Mottled Bee-Fly is a parasitoid of the sand wasp (Ammophila pubescens) or of the caterpillars gathered by the wasp for its larvae. This means that the bee-fly larvae develop inside either the larvae of the sand wasp or inside the caterpillars that the wasp collects; the host dies as a result of the development of the bee-fly.This is a ‘thermophilous’ (heat-loving) species, and occurs only in warm areas so this warm path in the summer sun was ideal. The adults feed on nectar, so a source of flowers is essential and the combination of heather and gravel or sand is the perfect combination.M. J Creighton 2015 New Forest Bee-Fly, Southampton Natural History Society
Solitary Bees (order Hymenoptera)
Anthophora bimaculata Green-eyed Flower Bee
Anthophora bimaculata is restricted to southern England, with the most northerly record being from Norfolk. In Sussex, A. bimaculata is strongly associated with the sandy soils of the Lower Greensand and the High Weald south of Tunbridge Wells. It is also frequently found along the coast between Peacehaven and Beachy Head, and between Pevensey Bay and the dunes at Camber Sands. ... It can be abundant in locations with sandy deposits. James Power, 2024, The Butterflies of Sussex: p.278
Andrena flavipes Yellow-legged Mining Bee
Andrena flavipes has increased in abundance in recent years and is now the most frequently recorded solitary bee in the county. It is ubiquitous, occurring in just about every area. it is found on chalk grasslands, meadows and pasture, coastal habitats, heathlands and open woodlands, as well as in gardens and parks.
A. flavipes often establishes dense aggregations that can cover a wide area, especially on south-facing dopes and banks. Edward Saunders, writing in 1879, reported finding a large colony sited “in a bank by the side of the road near Hollington”. The larger aggregations can contain thousands of individual bees, with hundreds of nests sited close together. The brood cells can be as much as 23 cm below ground.
Males often patrol rapidly just above the nest site, zigzagging rapidly as they search for a female before pouncing to mate. Both sexes mate several times during the flight season.
A. flavipes brood cells are targeted by Nomada fucata.This is one of a small number of species targeted by the bee-fly Bombylius discolor. Female flies mix their eggs with dust that has been gathered into a special chamber, coating the eggs with the dust before flicking them onto an area of ground being used by nesting bees. On hatching from an egg, a fly larva will attempt to locate an open cell and wait until the bee larva is almost fully developed. At this point the developing fly latches onto its host to feed on its fluids before pupating and emerging as an adult fly. James Power, 2024, The Butterflies of Sussex: p.242-243
Grasshoppers (order Orthoptera)
Myrmeleotettix maculatus Mottled Grasshopper
The species feeds on grasses, but also mosses and herbs. Myrmeleotettix maculatus colonizes especially gappy sandy grasslands, sandy open woodlands, more rarely also stony calcareous grasslands, dry moorland with open peat spots or stony pastures in the mountains. Myrmeleotettix maculatus can be found, for example, in the Valais still at 2500 meters above sea level!Myrmeleotettix maculatus is very early adult from early or mid-June and can still be observed in early October. The eggs are deposited according to literature superficially into the loose substrate. Orthoptera and their ecology Myrmeleotettix maculatus
Dragonflies (order Odonata)
Cordulegaster boltonii Golden-ringed Dragonfly
Libellula depressa Broad-bodied Chaser
Along the Rover Rother at Iping Village
Dragonflies (order Odonata)
As I was walking along the bank of the River Rother from Chithurst to Iping, about 50-100 Beautiful Demoiselles flew around me as I walked through the bracken (on the footpath) on which they were perched. Quite an extraordinary sight.
Mainly found along streams and rivers, particularly those with sand or gravel bottoms. The males rest on bank side vegetation waiting for females. British Dragonfly Society Beautiful Demoiselle
The River Rother of the West Sussex flows from west to east from Empshott in Hampshire, England, to Stopham in West Sussex, where it joins the River Arun. It runs though
On Monday morning 16.06.25 I walked from West Lodge, Steven’s Crouch (“Crouch” likely originates from the Old English word “crūc,” meaning “cross” and is common in the south-east Family Search: Crouch) to Tent Hill (different sources suggest that either the Norman or Saxon army camped on Tent Hill the night before the Battle of Hastings. The historically accepted battle site is Senlac Hill where Battle Abbey now stands. 1066 Walk Guide), along the 1066 Country Walk, through what I believe is the remains of Ashburnham’s Deer Park. The Ashbourne Place Historic England Listing suggests that this area is the Deer Park from West Lodge is a track through the deer park, running parallel to the A271 Ashburnham Place Historic England Listing. In the afternoon I visited the relicts of Ashbourne Furnace
West Lodge, designed by Robert Adam in ca. 1780, is one of the gateways into Ashburnham Park. The central carriage drive has wrought iron double gates with an overthrow containing the design of a tree and a coronet. The gates are flanked by stone piers surmounted by couchant greyhounds in stone. On each side are pedestrian gates with overthrows and similar piers without the greyhounds on top.Historic England Listing
I got to Steven’s Crouch by public transport: train from Brighton to Bexhill, then bus from Bexhill to Steven’s Couch/Catsfield Road . Stagecoach 95 bus Bus Times. Steven’s Couch, where West Lodge is, is about a 20 minute walk west along the road from the Steven’s Couch bus stop.
It is hard to know exactly where the historic deer park was; but the quality of lichens along the path, on a wayside Oak and a pollarded Ash, suggest ecological continuity suggestive of a medieval deer park, as mentioned in the Ashburnham Place SSSI specification. The SSSI includes Cowland Wood, just above the 1066 path. The north-west outlier of the SSSI, so it is probably likely that the 1066 path runs through the pasture woodland of the medieval deer park, even though it is not the SSSI
Deerpark Cottage (called Lodge on OS map) just south of Cowland Wood
Deerpark Cottage, Ashburnham Place 3.8.61 II Early C17. 2 storeys. 3 windows. Ashlar. Tiled roof. Casement windows of 4-lights with stone mullions and dripstones over. In the centre is a gabled porch with a 4-centred doorway and a room over. At each end is a stepped chimney breast.Historic England Listing
Location of Cowland Wood;the north-east outlier compartment of the SSSI on this SSSI map. I did not have time to explore Cowland Wood
Quercus robur at the end of the strip of trees that points north-east toward Cowland of the main compartment of the SSSI
with Rinodina roboris
an International Responsibility lichen
Certain British lichen assemblages are rich compared with equivalents elsewhere in Europe, and are of international importance (Fryday 2002; Coppins and Coppins 2005). This is partly associated with our oceanic climate, but also results from the extent of semi-natural habitat with relatively clean unpolluted air, and significant numbers of old trees2 in parkland and old growth pasture woodland (e.g. Farjon 2017). This contrasts with large tracts of western Europe (Rose 1992). It is the assemblages of hyperoceanic lichens that are of greatest significance at a European scale, and these are largely confined to woodlands (2.1.1) and
Southern oceanic old growth woodland lichen assemblages are outstandingly well-developed in the south of Britain, especially from North Wales south to Devon and Cornwall and east to the New Forest (Map 2) (Rose and James 1974; Sanderson 2010). The range of lichen communities of interest is greater than in the rainforests, consisting of: base-rich bark (Lobarion pulmonariae and Agonimion octosporae), acid bark (Parmelion laevigatae), smooth mesic bark (Graphidetum scriptae and Pyrenuletum chlorospilae), rough mesic bark (Pertusarietum amarae), dry bark and lignum on veteran and dead trees (Lecanactidetum Lichen communities, such as the Lobarion pulmonariae and Parmelion laevigatae are found in particular niches, such as base-rich bark or dry overhanging rock. Several communities can co-occur in a habitat, or even on a single tree. Neil Sanderson, Tim Wilkins, Sam Bosanquet and David Genney 1018 Guidelines for the Selection of Biological SSSIs. Part 2: Detailed Guidelines for Habitats and Species Groups Chapter 13 Lichens and associated microfungi. Joint Nature Conservation Committee 2018
This Oak also had
Lepra amara
a characteristic species of the Mature Mesic Bark Community (Pertusarietum amarae).
and Ramalina farinacea
This exceptional pollarded ancient Ash Fraxinus sylvatica on Tent Hill
had Ramalina fraxinea, and International Responsibility lichen
A fruticose species with distinctive long, pendant, strap-shaped lobes. Most branches are flat or slightly caniculate, but wrinkled, and widen from the base. Well-developed specimens display large, pale fawn apothecia along its entire thallus.Ramalina fraxineacan be distinguished from Ramalina fastigiata by its long, pendant lobes and the presence of apothecia along its entire lobes rather than only the apices.Scottish Lichens: Ramalina fraxinea
It’s ironic that it’s on Tent Hill; where William the Conqueror’s army slept before the Battle of Hastings. His win resulted in the establishment of the deer parks created on land given to his vassal barons, which resulted in the pasture woodland that rarer lichens love!
Also on this Ash was: Phaeophyscia orbicularis
and Lecanora gangaleoides with Physcia adscendens over growing it
and Pertusaria pertusa
A characteristic species of the Mature Mesic Bark Community (Pertusarietum amarae).
The common ash, Fraxinus excelsior, is currently listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. This means that while it doesn’t currently qualify for threatened status, it is close to qualifying or is likely to qualify in the near future. The primary threat to ash trees is the fungal disease known as ash dieback, caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus.Kew Gardens I have noted that pasture woodland Ash, seem to be doing better than Ash in tall forest woodland; perhaps because the space between trees in pasture woodland reduces the risk of infection
Ashburnham Park on Tuesday 17.06.25
I made a further visit to Ashburnham Park on Tuesday 17.06.25 after visiting with two lichenologist fiends on 12.06.25. See:
This post only lists things that we didn’t see on Thursday, 12.06.25. This time, I travelled by public transport: train from Brighton to Polegate, then bus from Polegate to Ninfield. Stagecoach 53 bus Bus Times. The walk from Ninfield to the entry to Ashburnham Park takes 49 minutes.
Woods
On the Quercus robur on the edge of the woods by the road near the main entrance was Varicellaria hemisphaerica
These Quercus robur have south facing trunks covered with lichens of the Pertusarietumamarae(mesic dry bark community): shade tolerant communities on rougher bark, with Pertusaria species dominant, and Varicellariahemisphaerica
Varicellaria hemisphaerica
and it was also on an Oak in Walk Wood
Chaenotheca ferrungea in bark grooves of a Quercus robur
We saw this last Thursday; but not with pin-head apothecia; the pinheads were just visible of this example.
In Walk Wood there were a number of notable maiden Hornbeams, Carpinus betulus in the woods. Normally, when I see Hornbeams in Sussex, they’re coppiced and have few lichens (mostly Pertusaria leioplaca and the Graphidetum scriptae association with Graphis scripta). But the Hornbeams in Ashburnham Park were much older non-coppiced maidens, which seem to have lichens of thePyrenuletum nitidae association (this is listed by James et al (1977) a continental association, the tail end of which is seen on ancient Beech and Hornbeam in south east England ….probably a separate southern oceanic community characterised by Pyrenula chlorospila with Enterographa crassa and Pyrenula macrospora) as well as of the Graphidetum scriptae association British Lichen Society Lichen Communities These hornbeam mosaics require more time than I had available to identify all their species.
Pertusaria sp. surrounded by Graphis scripta sensu lato. The revision of the Graphidaceae lichens in the Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland III has split Graphis scripta into more than one species, and spore microscopy is required for definitive identification of Graphidaceae lichen
Lecanora chlarotera/hybocarpa (microscopy of the apothecia crystals with polarizing light is required to separate L. chlarotera from L. hybocarpa) was part of these Hornbeam mosaics.
In the extreme north east of the wood around Reservoir Pond, where we hadn’t visited on Thursdays 12.06.25 there were several huge ancient Quercus robur near the perimeter fence, next to open parkland
which had quite a lot of Enterographa crassa on smooth patches around its base
The Terraces
The terraces are on the front (south) of Ashburnham Place; they are approached by two central flights of steps bedecked with heraldic greyhounds. The terraces were designed by Neo-Classical architect George Dance in 1813.
Pyrenodesmia variabilis, previously Caloplaca variabilis an Terrace wall. Not common in Sussex and not recorded at Ashburnham despite being often surveyed as its an SSSI, probably because the terraces of the house are not in the SSSI blocks.
Kuettlingeria teicholyta, previously Caloplaca teicholyta, was abundant on the walls of the terraces and on the greyhound garden statutory on the pedestals next to the steps to the terraces
The limestone greyhounds were dominated by Kuettlingeria teicholyta and Circinaria contorta, with yellow flashes of Variospora flavescens
Many of the walls were dominated by Verrucaria nigrescens and Myriolecis albescens; all common on old walls.
Maidenhair Spleenwort, Asplenium trichomanes, one of my favourite ferns. The moss Grimmia pulvinata, was also common on the walls, as it is on many Sussex old walls.
I went to Ashburnham Park with two lichen friends, Dave and Sarah, to look at its lichens. Ashburnham Park is a top site in Sussex for epiphytic 0lichens. This is not necessarily a representative account of the lichen diversity at Ashburnham as we only had time to walk aploound part of the SSSI; further visits to this outstanding site are required. All the identifications were made collaboratively and are based on morphological features. Lichens marked # require spore microscopy to confirm identification. Thus, some of these identifications are provisional
JAshburnham one Nettlefold tdr a former medieval deer park lying on Tunbridge Wells Sandstone and Wadhurst Clay. The ancient woodland is one of the largest remaining areas of its kind in the country and contains many overmature trees with outstanding lichen floras.
Overmature oaks and beeches occur throughout and support a great variety of epiphytic lichens with over 160 species recorded from the site as a whole. Holly is also an important host supporting a number of particularly interesting species which are not common this far east of the New Forest.
Ash Fraxinus excelsior is more frequent on calcareous soils in the west of the site while damp alder Alnus glutinosa woodland occupies the stream valleys and lake margins. Areas of coppiced hazel Corylus avellana, hornbeam Carpinus betulus and sweet chestnut Castanea sativa occur throughout the site, and there are also small mixed plantations and many scattered exotic species.
Woodland corticolous lichens
Usnea ceratina
Fallen from a Quercus robur (Pedunculate Oak), U. ceratina is one of the Southern Oceanic Woodland Index (SOWI) lichens of ecological continuity used to asses the quality of woodland sites for lichens (including determining which site might become SSSIs). At the end of this post is a table of all the SOWI lichens. Other SOWI lichens are marked SOWI.
A Quercus robur covered in Thelotrema sp. Bark Barnacle Lichen (SOWI). In the past there was only one Thelotrema sp., T. lepadinum but not it has been subdivide into two: T. lepadinum and
This is probably Thelotrema lueckingii SOWI, and Pertusaria leioplaca., on a Sweet Chestnut, Castanea sativa; one of a few planted in Ashburnham Park. When C. sativa is the main tree in replanted ancient woods it has only Graphidaceae lichens & Pertusaria spp. mostly P. leioplaca. But in here in semi-natural ancient woodland it is joined by a Thelotrema sp.
Similar to Thelotrema lepadinum in almost all details but deviating by the partly citrine yellow medulla (especially in the warts); the pigment reacts K+ red and darkens to an more orange colour when exposed. British Lichen Society Thelotrema luekingii
This is probably Cladonia floerkeana on lignum; red apothecia on podetia difficult to see in this photo
Cladonia caespiticia (SOWI) on Quercus robur
Cresponea premnea (SOWI) on Quercus robur
The dominant species of the Ancient Dry Bark Communities in souther oceanic woodlands (Lecanactidetumpremneae) on dry bark on old trees, often with Lecanographa lyncea
Lecanographa lyncea (SOWI) on Quercus robur
Enterographa crassa meeting Cresponea premnea on a smooth patch of Quercus robur. It is possible, but unlikely that this is Enterographa sorediata (SOWI)
Arthonia radiata # on Quercus robur
Phaeographis dendritica # (SOWI) on Quercus robur with Thelotrema sp.
Possibly Phaeographis smithii # on oak twig.
Chaenotheca ferruginea
Anisomeridium sp. # probably: A. biforme
Chrysothrix candelaris Gold Dust Lichen
Pyrrhospora quernea, on Quercus robur
Lecanactis abietina, on Quercus robur
Graphis scripta # on Castanea sativa
Saxicolous Lichens on Capability Brown Bridge
Tephromela atra Black-eye Lichen
Glaucomaria (lecanora) sulphurea
Lecanora sulphurea parasitising Tephromela atra . Very few lichens are parasitic but L. sulphurea is very fond of T. atra.
Saxicolous lichens on walls of church and gravestones of Ashburnham, St Peter
Blastenia crenularia
Calogaya (Caloplaca) decipiens (yellow) and to the right (pits) Verrucaria hochstetteri
Verrucaria muralis
Myriolecis (Lecanora) albescens
Flavoparmelia caperata Common Greenshield Lichen
Ochrolechia parella, surrounded by Glaucomaria (Leanora) sulphurea
Not a lichen but a moth lava surrounded by lichen! Probably Luffia lapidella, one of the bagworm moths, whose larvae make cases out of lichen, and eat lichen.
Francis Rose considered St Mary’s to be one of the best churches in Sussex for lichens. At present Stopham Church has the highest score, with over 130 lichens present Rose 1995 The Habitats and Vegetation of Sussex p.27. I didn’t have much time today for a good look today as I stopped off for just two hours in my journey back home from leading a bird walk; my total fell well short of 130!
The church stands on high ground near the confluence of the Arun and the Rother. Most houses are nearby, well away from the fine mainly C15 bridge (no longer used by through traffic), where the risk of flooding was too great.Sussex Parish Churches: Stopham
Churchyards are of supreme importance for lichen conservation, particularly where there are no natural outcrops of rock.Of the 2000 British species, over a third have been found in churchyards and more than 600 have been found growing on churchyard stone in lowland England.Many are scarce and some seldom, if ever, occur in other habitats. Many churchyards are found to have well over 100 species.Churchyards provide an excellent environment for the study of lichen biology and colonisation.British Lichen Society Churchyard Lichens
South-facing wall
Lecanora polytropa Granite-speck Rim Lichen
Haematomma ochroleucum
Porpidia soredizodes
Myriolecis albescens
Candelariella vitellina Common Goldspeck
West-facing Wall
Myriolecis albescens
Tephromela atra Black-eye Lichen
Cladonia chlorophaea
Cladonia pyxidata
North-facing Wall
Ingaderia vandenboomii
Psilolechia lucida Sulphur Dust Lichen
Glaucomaria sulphurea
Variospora flavescens Limestone Lobed Firedot
Diplotomma alboatrum
Leproplaca chrysodeta
East-facing wall
Circinaria calcarea Calcareous Rimmed Lichen
Tephromela atra being parasitised by Glaucomaria sulphurea
I went to Ashburnham Park with two lichen friends to look at its lichens. Ashburnham Park is a top site in Sussex for epiphytic lichens. This is not necessarily a representative account of the lichen diversity at Ashburnham as we only had time to walk around part of the SSSI; further visits to this outstanding site are required. All the identifications were made collaboratively and are based on morphological features. Lichens marked # require spore microscopy to confirm identification. Thus, some of these identifications are provisional
Ashburnham is a former medieval deer park lying on Tunbridge Wells Sandstone and Wadhurst Clay. The ancient woodland is one of the largest remaining areas of its kind in the country and contains many overmature trees with outstanding lichen floras.
Pedunculate oak Quercus robur andbeech Fagus sylvatica woodland covers the majority of the site including all of the northern outlier. It varies from a closed high forest to a very open woodland with holly Ilex aquifolium and birch Betula species and a shrub layer of bracken Pteridium aquilinum and bramble Rubus fruticosus. Mature Scots pines Pinus sylvestris occur throughout.
Overmature oaks and beeches occur throughout and support a great variety of epiphytic lichens with over 160 species recorded from the site as a whole. Holly is also an important host supporting a number of particularly interesting species which are not common this far east of the New Forest.
Ash Fraxinus excelsior is more frequent on calcareous soils in the west of the site while damp alder Alnus glutinosa woodland occupies the stream valleys and lake margins. Areas of coppiced hazel Corylus avellana, hornbeam Carpinus betulus and sweet chestnut Castanea sativa occur throughout the site, and there are also small mixed plantations and many scattered exotic species.
Woodland corticolous lichens
Usnea ceratina
Fallen from a Quercus robur (Pedunculate Oak), U. ceratina is one of the Southern Oceanic Woodland Index (SOWI) lichens of ecological continuity used to asses the quality of woodland sites for lichens (including determining which site might become SSSIs). At the end of this post is a table of all the SOWI lichens. Other SOWI lichens are marked SOWI.
A Quercus robur covered in Thelotrema sp. Bark Barnacle Lichen (SOWI). In the past there was only one Thelotrema sp., T. lepadinum but not it has been subdivide into two: T. lepadinum and
This is probably Thelotrema lueckingii SOWI, and Pertusaria leioplaca., on a Sweet Chestnut, Castanea sativa; one of a few planted in Ashburnham Park. When C. sativa is the main tree in replanted ancient woods it has only Graphidaceae lichens & Pertusaria spp. mostly P. leioplaca. But in here in semi-natural ancient woodland it is joined by a Thelotrema sp.
Similar to Thelotrema lepadinum in almost all details but deviating by the partly citrine yellow medulla (especially in the warts); the pigment reacts K+ red and darkens to an more orange colour when exposed. British Lichen Society Thelotrema luekingii
This is probably Cladonia floerkeana on lignum; red apothecia on podetia difficult to see in this photo
Cladonia caespiticia (SOWI) on Quercus robur
Cresponea premnea (SOWI) on Quercus robur
The dominant species of the Ancient Dry Bark Communities in souther oceanic woodlands (Lecanactidetumpremneae) on dry bark on old trees, often with Lecanographa lyncea
Lecanographa lyncea (SOWI) on Quercus robur
Enterographa crassa meeting Cresponea premnea on a smooth patch of Quercus robur. It is possible, but unlikely that this is Enterographa sorediata (SOWI)
Arthonia radiata # on Quercus robur
Phaeographis dendritica # (SOWI) on Quercus robur with Thelotrema sp.
Possibly Phaeographis smithii # on oak twig.
Chaenotheca ferruginea
Anisomeridium sp. # probably: A. biforme
Chrysothrix candelaris Gold Dust Lichen
Pyrrhospora quernea, on Quercus robur
Lecanactis abietina, on Quercus robur
Graphis scripta # on Castanea sativa
Saxicolous Lichens on Capability Brown Bridge
Tephromela atra Black-eye Lichen
Glaucomaria (lecanora) sulphurea
Lecanora sulphurea parasitising Tephromela atra . Very few lichens are parasitic but L. sulphurea is very fond of T. atra.
Saxicolous lichens on walls of church and gravestones of Ashburnham, St Peter
Blastenia crenularia
Calogaya (Caloplaca) decipiens (yellow) and to the right (pits) Verrucaria hochstetteri
Verrucaria muralis
Myriolecis (Lecanora) albescens
Flavoparmelia caperata Common Greenshield Lichen
Ochrolechia parella, surrounded by Glaucomaria (Leanora) sulphurea
Not a lichen but a moth lava surrounded by lichen! Probably Luffia lapidella, one of the bagworm moths, whose larvae make cases out of lichen, and eat lichen.
If you are interested in the class structure of the Sussex landscape and how that interacts with lichen distribution, lichen conservation and public access to nature, and the historic relationship between pasture woodland, tall forest woodland and coppicing for charcoal production for the iron furnaces of the weald, see Lichens of Ashburnham Park SSSI, East Sussex. 12.06.25. Part 2: The impact of the class structure of the Sussex landscape on lichen distribution, conservation and access to the public. 25/https://simelliottnaturenotes.blog/2025/06/13/lichens-of-ashburnham-park-sssi-east-sussex-12-06-25/
Whilst this post specifically addresses issues concerning the impact of class structure of the Sussex landscape on lichen distribution, conservation, and access to nature, class structure of the landscape impacts on the conservation of and access to all nature.
The existence of “high quality” old woodland lichens and access to them are partly a function of the class structure of the Sussex landscape. The “best” (or what is considered as best) corticolous/epiphytic (tree) lichens in Sussex are often in places that were owned, and in some places, are still owned, by the aristocracy; often descendants of the feudal barons who were allocated land by William the Conqueror in exchange for military service and loyalty.
The distribution of lichens in Sussex, and current access to see them, is intrinsically linked to that class structure of the landscape. Old parklands (deer parks) of pasture woodland, and ancient tall forest woodland, like Ashburnham Park, and ancient coppiced woodland (coppice with standards) are some of the best places to see old woodland lichen species. Aristocratic medieval deer parks (the larders of the rich) entailed pollarding; pollarded pasture oaks live longer, thus have long ecological continuity, and have lots of light, which is propitious for lichen growth and survival. Having a deer park was a function of wealth, and intrinsically linked to the feudal class structure of the mediaeval and early modern periods. Tall forest ancient woodland in aristocratic estates are also good for old woodland lichens because of the length of ecological continuity, although many former ancient broadleaved woodlands have been replanted with Sweet Chestnut or pines, were profit trumped conservation of ancient woodland. The part of Ashburnham we visited was ancient tall forest woodland; we have yet to visit the parts of the SSSI which were pasture woodland.
The survival of pasture woodland, tall forest ancient woodland and coppice with standards woodland in the modern period is dependent on the actions of aristocrats, or of the new rich landowners who bought aristocratic land holdings. Many historic park woodlands and ancient tall forest woodland have been partially or completely destroyed by cash cropping i.e., the replanting of ancient woodland with Sweet Chestnut (e.g. Flexham Park and Fittleworth Wood) or conifers (e.g. Worth Forest), or sold for development (as nearly happened at Old House Warren). Once vast [ancient woodland] now cover just 2.5% of the UK. Around half of what remains has been felled and replanted with non-native conifers and even more is under threat of destruction or deterioration from developmentWoodland Trust
Moreover, access to remaining historic ancient pasture woodland, tall forest ancient woodland and coppice with standard woodland is dependent on the ownership of the Sussex landscape. Some woodlands have public access; some of those are in public ownership but local authorities or the ownership of conservation charities e.g. Bexhill Highwoods (coppice with standards), Petworth Park (pasture woodland), and Marstakes Common and Ebernoe Common (pasture woodland and high forest woodland). Marstakes and Ebernoe Commons’ pasture woodland are not related to keeping deer but pre-enclosure commoners’ rights to common grazing, often pig grazing (pannage), which still, though, entailed the largesse of aristocratic land owners. Common land was “manorial waste” and was poor quality land within a manor that was not cultivated or enclosed, and over which tenants and other individuals had rights of common, such as grazing or gathering resources.
Much woodland in Sussex landowners is still owned by it original aristocratic families; some have partial access on limited public footpaths e.g. Eridge Park and Buckhurst Park, and some have no public access e.g. Paddockhurst Wood, Pads Wood and East Dean Park Wood; the latter due to its use for shooting for profit, the curse of public access to woodland in Sussex. Ashburnham Park is an anomaly; it is owned by a Christian trust, for study and retreats, and is currently pretty permissive of public access through a network of private footpaths on the estate. Long may that remain!
The Ashburnham family were lords of the village of Ashburnham, and elsewhere, for some 800 years. The village itself was Esseborne in Domesday Book (1086) and Esburneham in the twelfth century; the name is thought to mean ‘meadow by the stream where ash-trees grow’. By about 1120 the family had taken its name as their own. It may be that the first of them may have been the feudal lord of Ashburnham in 1086 – Peter de Creil or Criel or Crull, a Norman immigrant awarded land by the Conqueror. For almost all of the remaining time up to living memory – with two intermissions – the Ashburnham estate was owned by this one family. The second such intermission led to a peerage; the first (1611 to 1640) resulted from disastrous financial management.Battle and District Hisotrical Society Archive, George Kiloh, 2016,
In 1665, John Ashburnham built a new house on the site of the present mansion, replacing an older house. He died in 1671. His nephew was created Baron Ashburnham, the baronetcy becoming an earldom in 1731. The second Earl reconstructed and enlarged the house between 1759 and 1763 and commissioned Lancelot Brown (1716-83) in 1767 to lay out a new park and gardens around the house of which the lakes and much of the planting structure survive.
The third Earl succeeded in 1812, his additions between 1812 and 1817 including the terraces to the south and east of the house and the bridge across Front Water. The sixth Earl died in 1924 and the line ended with the death of his niece, Lady Catherine Ashburnham in 1953. The Rev J Bickersteth, a grandson of the sixth Earl, inherited the estate and in 1960 gave Ashburnham Place and 89ha, including the main gardens and pleasure grounds, to the Ashburnham Christian Trust.
Ashburnham Place (listed grade II), with St Peter’s church (listed grade I) immediately to its west sits on the north-west slope of the valley, overlooking the chain of lakes and the park woodland beyond. Although the house is truncated from its C18 form, with the church (rebuilt to its present form in 1665) and the stable block (built between 1720 and 1730 and listed grade II*) a visually cohesive group of buildings is created. The house was built in 1665 and enlarged to its final form by 1763 with the addition of the domestic wing facing the church, the long range of state rooms which made up the south front. Brown’s greenhouse, with seven bays (now the Orangery, listed grade II), stands attached on the west side. The brick house was refaced twice, once in 1813 by George Dance and again in 1850 with the present red and grey brick. The house had reduced to a state of decay by the mid C20. It is now about three-quarters of its former size, the remainder having been demolished in 1959. The present (1990s) owners have made considerable additions from the 1960s onwards, on and around the house’s previous ground plan. Brown’s Orangery survives intact .
The Ashburnhams’ wealth came from rents from their extensive land holdings; but also from the Wealden iron industry, including the manufacturing of arms. This is a feature of many other Wealden aristocratic estates, and had a significant impact on woodland in Sussex. The High Weald wasn’t always a pastoral/arable landscape (or the leisure landscape of middle-class wealth that it is now); the High Weald was an industrial landscape in the Tudor and Stuart periods (as it partly been during Roman exploitation of iron in the Weald). Iron ore was dug out of the weald clays, and wood was cut to make charcoal for the iron furnaces. The mill ponds (hammer ponds), which powered the hammers of the furnaces, were sometimes then converted into landscape features, such as ornamental lakes, e.g. at Leonardslee. Visiting the relict hammer ponds in Sussex is fascinating. The website Hammer Ponds details them. However, many of them can not be visited as they have been turned into private fishing ponds. The lakes at Ashburnham are not converted hammer ponds but creations of Lancelot “Capability” Brown who charged a lot to posh-up your estate and make it appear an arcadian paradise. Capability Brown’s work at Ashburnham Place involved significant costs, with direct payments to Brown totalling £7,296 (1753). Landscape Institute: Capability Brown: Ashburnham equivalent to £960,992.20 today.
It cost the the 2nd Earl of Egrement a pretty penny too to get Capability Brown to landscape the Petworth deer park, and turn it into a simulacrum of the faux antique landscape paintings of Claude and Poussin, which hung in the Earl’s painting collection inside the neo-Palladian Petworth House. Capability Brown received five contracts from Lord Egremont between 1753 and 1765, totalling £5,500 (1773). Landscape Institute: Capability Brown: Petworth This is equivalent to over £1,051,136.88 in 2025.
Part of the forge pond survives just to the west by a road on private land at 684161, with a modern weir. Looking down east from the bridge here, a rusty channel can clearly be seen far below, running under the conservatory of Forge Cottage. Hammer Ponds: Ashburnham Forge
North along the track down a detour right at the path fork (685172) there is a footbridge over a rusty ford with several large reddish ‘bears’ in the stream: a bear is a rock of imperfectly smelted ore and iron. Slightly further along, left in a private meadow, a high bank is visible. This is the old furnace bay, and the furnace pond, now dry, lay beyond it. This is now a low field. The old spillway is roughly halfway along the bay and still serves a stream – depending on the overgrowth, this may be seen as well as heard. Hammer Ponds: Ashburnham Forge
Ashburnham was an important Wealden complex of furnace, forges and boring mills, built by John Ashburnham before 1554, and the last Wealden furnace to close in 1813, although the forge continued until the late 1820s. The sites worked together during the Civil War, the premier Wealden ordnance suppliers until about 1760, and later produced guns and shot for the Dutch Wars. The main furnace pond is now dry, but a secluded pen pond survives on private land just north of the furnace site in Andersons Wood (685173). [The Ashburnham iron furnaces supplied arms to the Royalists during the civil war.]
An unmade road, heavily metalled with waste iron slag, runs about half a mile between this remaining furnace pen pond and the dry site of Ashburnham (Upper) Forge. Known originally as the ‘sow track’, this not only took sows and guns from the furnace down to the forge and boring mill but also extended up past Robertsbridge to Sedlescombe, where iron goods were shipped to London via the river Brede.”
Ashburnham forge was “…the most persistent of the Sussex works were those at Ashburnham, extending into the next parish of Penhurst, and obtaining fuel supplies from Dallington Forest. The furnace, which is mentioned in 1574 and was probably established much earlier, lasted till 1811, and the forge continued working until 1825. Mary Cecilia Delany, 1921; The Historical Geography Of The Wealden Iron Industry available online
As well as tall forest woodlands, there are many relict coppiced woodlands, some with relict with charcoal hearths across, the weald. Coppice with standards was the typical coppicing practice; and the standard (maiden) Oaks of these relict coppiced woodlands are important for lichens. Charcoal was critical to the production of iron. Coppiced wood (mainly oak, alder and hornbeam) was used to make the charcoal in round ‘clamps’ of 4-5 metres which were often constructed on levelled ground. The presence of nearly black soil and small pieces of charcoal can confirm past use [of land as charcoal hearths.High Weald National Landscape: Archaeology
The peaceful pleasure of walking through relict coppices belies one of the reason why those coppices were there: the Wealden ironmasters began to concentrate increasingly on gun founding, and examples can be found all over the world, wherever Britain fought or traded. Eventually, the onset of the Industrial Revolution took heavy industry north to the coalfields, and the last furnace in the Weald, at Ashburnham, closed in 1813.Wealden Iron: History. The Wealden coppices fuelled the furnaces that made the weapons the made Britain’s early modern imperial colonialism possible
Cast-iron guns were particularly needed by the government at this time. … There are many references to Levett’s deliveries of guns and shot to the Crown in the 1540s. In 1546 he was paid £300 for making iron guns, and typical of his trade in ammunition is an order of 1545 for 300 shot for cannon. The Iron Industry of the Weald. Henry Cleere and David Crossley with contributions from Bernard Worssam and members of The Wealden Iron Research, Second Edition Edited By Jeremy Hodgkinson Merton Priory Press 1995. Available online
Coppiced woodland in the weald was not only used for charcoal to produce the iron that produced munitions, in places Oak was planted to be cut later for ship building. The thick multi-stems of relict coppiced Sessile Oak at Highwoods near Bexhill, provides the only opportunity to see lichens on coppiced Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea) in Sussex. But these Sessile Oaks were not planed for their beauty, or to be a substrate for liches, they were planted to build Henty VIII’s navy. Ship building has always had a strong reliance on natural resources and Britain would not have been able to conquer the seas without the abundance of wood that was available to construct its mighty vessels. … Overall, Britain built its place in the world through the power of its maritime endeavours, and in this way, the forests of Britain helped to build the nation that it became. This quotation from Rural History obscures the fact that the nation that the UK became because of its exploitation of oak woods for its naval ships, was a nation that ruthlessly subjugated people to colonial slavery.
A postscript: another class-based use of Wealden iron from Ashburnham:
I saw quite a few insects coincidentally at Petworth as I was searching for lichens. It made me realise that my knowledge of insect orders is quite sketchy; so this post presents the insects I saw classified in to orders. I used the website of the Amateur Entomologists Society to learn more. This is an excellent resource for amateur entomologists.
The class insect (Insecta) are part of the phylum Arthropoda
The Arthropoda are a Phylum of invertebrates (animals without backbones) that have a joined exoskeleton. The Arthropods include the arachnids, crustaceans, insects and others.
The arthropod body is supported by an hard outer layer. This acts as an external skeleton – or exoskeleton. The body muscles are attached to the inside of this exoskeleton. It is made up of rings (called segments) which are attached to one another by flexible membranes. This allows movement of the body to take place. The name arthropod refers to their jointed limbs, which are their chief characteristic. (Arthros = joint, Podium = foot).AMS: Arthropod
2 compound eyes, usually situated on either side of the head.
The Insects (Class Insecta) are divided into a number of Orders. These are grouped together into two sub-classes called the Apterygota (wingless insects) and the Pterygota (winged insects) – In addition to the Class Insecta there are three other classes of invertebrates that have six legs, these three classes are known as non-insect hexapods.
This list of insect orders comes from from the Amateur Entomological Society’s page on Insect Orders Clicking on the links will take you to pages of Amateur Entomological Society’s website giving more information on the orders.
[Division] Endopterygota The word Endopterygota refers to the development of the wings inside the body. Insects that develop in this way are said to show complete metamorphosis.
All the photos in the post were taken by me on one day (10.06.25). apart from the Great Spotted Woodpeckers, all the species photographed in this blog were living on, in or under a single Pendunculate oak at SU 96936 22927
I approached this Oak from a distance, walking through the pasture woodland of Petworth Park. Wood pasture is classified as a mosaic habitat valued for individual park-like trees particularly veteran and ancient, and the fauna, flora and fungi it supports, including a number of species that only occur in wood pasture and parkland. Grazing animals are fundamental to the habitats existence and many sites are also important historic landscapes. Woodland Trust Wood Pasture
As I got near, I realised that there was a bright green shape on the trunk, highlighted by the grey of the oak’s trunk. As I got closer I realised it was a beautiful moth.
I used the Obsidenity App to make a preliminary identification in the field as I hadn’t seen this species of moth before. I then checked this identification in my field guide later. I used Obsidentify for all the invertebrates I saw around this Oak, and checked the observations with field guides at home. It is a Scarce Silver-lines Moth, Bena bicolorana. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of oak (Quercus).
When I reached the Oak I could see that part of it was dead; this part appeared to have been killed, probably by heart-rot fungi. This is the way most Quercus robur die, but the process of dying is long. The decorticated decomposing heart wood had many holes.
Most of the known species dependent on oak trees are invertebrates, and a majority of these interact with the fungi in the tree in some way. Many make their homes and find their food where heart-rot decay fungi have been in action, leaving partially decayed material that is physically broken down by insects, creating mounds of composting wood mulch that creates further habitat for other invertebrates.Oaks and fungi in the UK. R. Wright, J. Finch & N. Brown. 31/05/2022
An insect landed on my hand. A believe it is a Lymexylon navale. A beetle belonging to the family Lymexylidae. The size of this beetle can vary a lot, between 8-15mm. Its yellow with black head and orange pronotum. The larval development take place in fresh oak wood in parts lost the bark. Saproxylic beetles
Saprolyxic organisms, especially insects, that are directly or indirectly dependent on dead or decaying wood for at least part of their lifecycle. Buglife: Saprolyxic Invertebrates
Lymexylon navale, commonly known as the ship-timber beetle, is a type of wood-boring beetle that is associated with wood structures, including ships, houses, and trees. Specifically, its larvae are wood-boring and can damage both sapwood and heartwood in living and decaying trees, as well as timber structures like ships.
An uncommon beetle in Britain it is which is currently designated as Red Data Book 2 (vulnerable).Nature Spot Lymexylon navale
The larvae of Lymexylon navale bore into wood, which can weaken and damage ship and other wooden structures. Lymexylidae, including Lymexylon navale, have a symbiotic relationship with certain fungi. The larvae create tunnels in the wood, and the fungi grow within these tunnels, providing a food source for the larvae. Ship-timber beetles have been found in ancient shipwrecks, indicating their long-standing association with human-made wooden structures. Lymexylidae also play a role in the ecosystem by helping to break down wood and are an important food source for other animals. Sources: Sônia A. CasariLarva of Atractocerus Brasiliensis (Lepeletier & Audinet-Serville, 1825) (Lymexylidae, Atractocerinae) Universidade de São Paulo, Museu de Zoologia , São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Cletus P. Kurtzman, Christie J. Robnett (2013) Alloascoidea hylecoeti gen. nov., comb. nov., Alloascoidea africana comb. nov., Ascoidea tarda sp. nov., and Nadsonia starkeyi-henricii comb. nov., new members of the Saccharomycotina (Ascomycota). FEMS Yeast Research 13: 423–432. doi: 10.1111/1567-1364.12044 (published in Spanish and English) and Piper, Ross 2007 Extraordinary animals : an encyclopaedia of curious and unusual animals.
This Lymexylon navale (and its many mates) may have made the holes into which I saw, what I believe to be Trypoxylon attenuatum.
A widely distributed species recorded from much of Britain, including the Scilly Isles and the Channel Islands. … Has been recorded from a variety of habitats including woodland, parkland, gravel pits, sandy sites, chalk grassland and heathland. … On the wing between mid-May and mid-September… Nest burrows are stocked with small spiders such as Tetragnatha (Tetragnathidae) (Lomholdt, 1984).Nests are constructed in pre-existing cavities. Richards (1980). … Richards (1980) gives a generalised overview of Trypoxylon nesting sites such as “Anobium burrows, cut stems, hollow roots, rarely in small holes in vertical earth-faces”, but T. attenuatum seems to nest “exclusively in hollow plant stems” (Lomholdt, 1984). Nests are constructed in cavities 2-4 mm in diameter (Tormos et al., 2005).Bees Wasps and Ants Recording Society Trypoxylon attenuatum..
So it sounds as if Oaks may not be a typical nesting sites for this solitary wasp.
I then moved on to looking at lichens – the primary purpose of my trip to Petworth Park.
First I saw Gold Dust Lichen, Chrysothrix candelaris
I initially got very excited because I thought it may be the rare pin lichen Chaenotheca chrysocephala; which had been recorded on a specific Quercus robur nearby, but it wasn’t!
When I was looking at lichens on the bark I saw two more invertebrates. One on the bark next to a lichen I was examining, and one which fell on my jumper.
The one on the bark was Oak Leafhopper nymph, Iassus lanio. Leafhoppers are [sap sucking] insects belonging to the family Cicadellidae in the order Hemiptera. They are recognized by their piercing-sucking mouthparts and by the presence of rows of spine-like setae (hairs) in their hind tibiae. Dietich Leaferhopper Lab
The relatively short and broad form of this genus is characteristic; the head is wide (equal to the width of the pronotum) and the sides of the pronotum are shorter than the eye.In I. lanio the forewings vary in colour from green to pale brown and the vertex, pronotum and scutellum are heavily dark-mottled. The vertex is rounded and uniformly narrow from above. …common on oak across the UK.Adult: June to OctoberLength 6.5-8 mmBritish Bugs: Iassus lanio
The insect that fell on my jumper:
was a Striped Oak Bug, Rhabdomiris striatellus
A very striking bug which is frequently found on or near oak across Britain, but particularly in the south. Females are usually paler then males. The only possible confusion risk is the larger and more elongate Miris striatus, which has a completely yellow/orange cuneus and an entirely dark head. Overwintered eggs hatch in April, the larvae feeding on unripe catkins and becoming adult from mid-May onwards. Adult: May-JulyBritish Bugs: Rhabdomiris striatellus
There were many lichens on the Oak; here are few of them:
Physconia grisea Grey Frost Lichen
Dendrographa decolorans.
Thin whitish, lilac-grey or pinkish-grey thallus. When the surface (fungal hyphae) of the thallus is scratched, its photobiont (an alga of the orange Trentepohlia) is revealed.
Evernia prunastri. The vernacular name of this lichen is Oak Moss; even though it is not a moss! It is very common on Oaks, but it is common on other trees too.
Most of the lichens on this oak were of the Mature Mesic Bark Community (Pertusarietum amarae); shade tolerant communities on rougher bark, with Pertusaria species dominant. They are particularly characteristic of Beech and Ash, but also on less damp Oak bark. The basic community is composed of widespread species particularly Pertusaria s. lat. speciesBritish Lichen Society Lichen Communities
Pertusaria pertusa Sometimes called Pepper Pot lichen, for obvious reasons.
Pertusaria flavida; the orange part of this photo, which can only be identified (by turning orange) with UV light and/or a chemical spot reagent test, which reacts to lichen substances (mostly secondary metabolites). I did both the UV and the reagebts tests in the filed
Lepra amara The vernacular name of this lichen is Bitter Wart Lichen, because it tastes very butter if licked. I do not lick it to confirm its identification!
As I was identifying these lichens I head a Crow, Corvus corone, directly above my head. When I looked up a parent crow was feeding a juvenile. Here is the juvenile
Crows can nest almost anywhere, but they prefers well-covered trees with broad branches and solid tree forks, like Oaks
Crows are not the only birds to use Oaks. Earlier in the day I saw two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Dendrocopos major, drumming on the trunk of another Pendunculate Oak. Great spotted woodpeckers can be found across mainland Britain, but are limited to the west of Ireland. Mature broadleaved woodland is prime habitatWoodland Trust Great Spotted Woodpeckers
At this point I walked into Petworth to get a coffee. When I came back I could see Fallow Deer under the tree. A social, elegant species with a signature speckled coat and mighty palmate antlers. First introduced by the Romans, fallow deer became extinct in Britain until they were reintroduced before the Norman Conquest around the year 1,000.Woodland Trust Fallow Deer
The herd of Fallow Deer have been at Petworth Park, according to the National Trust, for 500 years. The magnificent herd of fallow deer have called Petworth Park home for over 500 years; they were reportedly hunted by Henry VIII on his visit to Petworth in the 1520s.National Trust Petworth Park. There were probably Fallow Deer in the park since the land was gifted by Henry I (the fourth son of William the Conqueror) to Joscelin de Louvain, a Norman feudal baron. The pasture oaks of the deer park have provided shade for Fallow Deer for nearly 1000 years; this ancient oak has been shading deer for probably 400 years. The Fallow Deer I saw today are johnny-come-latelys!
LEAF stands for Laboratory Extension and Fieldwork. I would really recommend the British Lichen Society’s courses, for dates of courses see British Lichen Society Latest News It was a fabulously enjoyable and informative course. Tutors: Nicola Bacciu, Pat Wolseley, Fred Gibson and Lindsay Mahon
I travelled to Taunton from Brighton on 29.05, and kindly got a lift from one of the course participants to Nettlecombe Court. The court and its parkland is on the fringes of the Brendon Hills, within the Exmoor National Park, Sommerset,
Its a Grade I listed building, see Nettlecombe Court for Historic England’s listing; with a Late medieval hall, cross passage and wing, a 1599 entrance front, porch, great hall and parlour, a circa 1641 addition to rear of great hall, a 1703-7 South West front extended and staircase added in angle, and plasterwork on stair added in 1753.
The court is surrounded by 60 hectares of parkland, once a part of the estate. The park surrounding the house is Grade II listed on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
In 1066 Nettlecombe was held by Godwin, son of Harold. In 1086 the Domesday Survey described it as held by the King for a knight’s fee. It was granted by the King to Hugh de Ralegh in 1160 and the grant of free warren was made to Simon de Ralegh in 1304. In 1440 the then owner, also Simon de Ralegh, died childless, leaving the estate to his nephew, Thomas Whalesborough. Thomas’ son, Edmund, died during his father’s lifetime and the estate descended to Edmund’s sister, Elizabeth, who was married to John Trevelyan of Cornwall. Since 1440, the Trevelyan family has kept a record of the management of the estate, now held in the Somerset Record Office, Taunton. The first mention of a park at Nettlecombe appears in a survey of 1532, recorded as being of 80 acres (c 33ha) in a later survey of 1556, and deer were first recorded in 1593. Although deer parks are known to have existed at Nettlecombe since the late C16, the first conclusive evidence of a designed landscape appears in an engraving, published in 1787, The park was enlarged with the addition of the Great Park in 1755 and South Park in 1792. National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens Listing
Here are Lichens we saw (all photos taken by me; Lichens marked * were new-tom-me and were identified by the tutors, Nicola Bacciu, Pat Worsley, Fred Gibson and/or Lindsay Mahon)
One of the main learning points for me was considering lichen communities
The Lobarion pulmonariae community
The Lobarion pulmonaria is composed mainly of large foliose lichens and robust bryophytes and appears to be the natural forest climax community on mature hardwood trees with barks of pH 5.0-6.0 in western Europe outside areas with Mediterranean climates. It is now very much fragmented in distribution due to the felling and management of primeval forests, drainage and various forms of pollution. In drier areas it tends to be confined either to sheltered glades in more open forests where there is more light, or to the upper boughs of trees. James, P.W., Hawksworth, D.L. & Rose, F. (1977) Lichen communities in the British Isles: a preliminary conspectus. In: Lichen Ecology (ed. M.R.D. Seaward): 295-413. Academic Press, London.
Old forest and parkland – (the Lobarion pulmonariae alliance)
The Lobarion pulmonariae alliance includes a mixture of bryophytes and lichens found on basic barked trees more than 150-200 years old, mainly Ash and Oak, but sometimes on Lime, Maple and Sycamore. It is a characteristic community of ancient woodland and parkland and contains many local and rare species.
The large leafy Lobaria pulmonaria and Ricasolia virens are both present and although rare, they locally form luxuriant colonies in ancient woodlands where they are both found fertile. Leptogium lichenoides and Peltigera horizontalis occur rather frequently, but other large leafy lichens with a blue-green photobiont such as Ricasolia amplissima, Nephroma laevigatum, Pannaria conoplea, Parmeliella triptophylla, Peltigera collina, Sticta limbata and S. sylvatica are all now rare. There are many small, crust-forming species associated with this community including Bacidia biatorina, Catinaria atropurpurea, Coenogonium luteum, Gyalecta truncigena, Leptogium teretiusculum, Biatora epixanthoides, Mycobilimbia pilularis, Thelopsis corticola, Pachyphiale carneola, Rinodina roboris and Thelopsis rubella, plus the rarer Agonimia allobata, A. octospora, Lecania chlorotiza, Piccolia ochrophora, Porina coralloidea, P. rosei, Strigula jamesii, S. phaea and Wadeana dendrographa. Bryophytes associated with this community include Homalothecium sericeum, Leptodon smithii, Leucodon sciuroides, Metzgeria furcata, Tortula laevipila and Zygodon baumgartneri. British Lichen Society Document. John Skinner et al. 2024 Revised FG 2025Rev. 1.2 EPIPHYTIC LICHEN COMMUNITIES NETTLECOMBE – June 2025
We saw most of the following lichens on Quercus petraea and asingle Q. cerris in Nettlecomb. In Sussex, where I live, this community is only found in a few places, viz. Paddockurst Estate, Eridge Park, East Dean Park Wood , Parham Park, Ashburnham Park and Pads Wood, but only Eridge Park, still has Lobaria pulmonaria itself.
Lobaria pulmonaria
Parmotrema crinitum *
Arthonia vinosa *
Gyalecta truncigena *
Aquacidia viridifarinosa *
Mature Mesic Bark Community (Pertusarietum amarae)
The Pertusarietum amarae are shade tolerant communities on rougher bark, with Pertusaria species dominant. They are particularly characteristic of Beech and Ash, but also on less damp Oak bark. The basic community is composed of widespread species particularly Pertusaria s. lat. species: Pertusaria albescens, Lepra amara (Pertusaria amara f amara), Pertusaria flavida, Pertusaria hymenea and Pertusaria pertusa along with Phlyctis argena and Ochrolechia subviridis. This is a common community in drier areas but gets displaced by moss dominated communities in strongly oceanic areas. Within old growth stands it can be rich in old woodland species including Arthonia vinosa, Cliostomum flavidulum, Mycoporum antecellens, Phaeographis dendritica, Lepra multipuncta (Pertusaria multipuncta) and Thelotrema lepadinum. The rare taxa include Reichlingia zwackhii (Arthonia zwackhii), Melaspilea amota, Stictographa lentiginosa (Melaspilea lentiginosa), Lepra pulvinata (Pertusaria amara f. pulvinata), Pertusaria pustalata, Varicellaria velata (Pertusaria velata) and Phaeographis lyellii.British Lichen Society Lichen Communities
We saw these lichens on a Nothofagus fusca and mostly Quercus petraea at Nettlecombe. In Sussex this community can be seen at Eridge Park, Parham Park, Petworth Park, Wadhurst Park and Buxted Park in particular
Pertusaria hemisphaerica
This Pentatoma rufipes Forest Bug fell onto my bag whilst standing under the Nothofagus fusca
Pertusaria coronata *
Lepra corallina *
Pertusaria flavida *
Ochrolechia androgyna *
Opegrapha vulgata
Thelotrema lueckingii *
On decorticated lignum (Quercus pretera)
Calicium glaucellum *
Twig flora community Lecanora chlarotera-Arthonia radiata– the Lecanoretum subfuscae In open grown wood pasture and parkland the canopy is well lit and the twig flora is well developed. The most frequent species are Arthonia radiata, Lecanora chlarotera, L. hybocarpa and Lecidella elaeochroma, with Evernia prunastri, Fuscidea lightfootii, Hypogymnia physodes, H. tubulosa, Melanelixia subaurifera, Parmelia sulcata, Punctelia subrudecta and Physcia aipolia also present. In more exposed sites the presence of Melanohalea laciniatula, Physcia tenella, Xanthoria parietina and X. polycarpa indicates slight levels of ammonia or nitrogen enrichment British Lichen Society Document. John Skinner et al. 2024 Revised FG 2025Rev. 1.2 EPIPHYTIC LICHEN COMMUNITIES NETTLECOMBE – June 2025
We saw these lichens in the orchard at Nettlecombe. This is a very familiar community to me, as it is the community on Hawthorn and younger trees in Sussex
Physcia aipolia
Hypotrachyna revoluta (with Ramalina fastigiata)
Hypotrachyna afrorevoluta
Glaucomaria carpinea
Ramalina fastigiata with Xanthoria parietina
We also saw Ramalina farinacea,Lecanora hybocarpa,Lecidella eleachroma,Usnea cornuta; but I did not photo these.
Sim's Nature Notes 
