Heene Cemetery’s species count hits 500!

The Friends of Heene Cemetery have notched up 500 in their on-going species count! By coincidence, this happened within weeks of the COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference being held in Montreal between 7th and 19th December. (We’ll explore the relevance of that later in this post.) For the moment, consider the species themselves, from the largest such as the Monterey Cypress and Yew trees to the smallest such as ants, bugs and spiders – with everything in between. In their own distinctive way, they all matter, part of the surprising richness of this one-acre town-centre cemetery.

Who would have known that the cemetery would play host to at least 17 different species of grass, 19 mosses, 3 grasshoppers, 4 bush-crickets, 21 hoverflies, 27 asters, 4 bedstraws, 8 borages, 7 bumble and honey bees, 6 buttercups, 4 earthworms, 4 gall wasps, 4 geometer moths, 25 gilled mushrooms, 4 honeysuckles, 7 ladybirds, 8 legumes, 9 owlet moths, 7 pinks, 4 primroses, 18 members of the rose family (not counting any of the cultivated varieties), 3 sedges, 10 slugs, 3 snails, 5 umbellifers, 8 willowherbs, 4 woodlice, 17 arachnids, 37 birds and 2 reptiles – plus a veritable storm of smaller species families? You can see the full list, and you can search for individual species and their families. The most numerous category is the flowering plants (201 species), followed by the insects, butterflies and moths (154 species) that depend on them.

We’ve been lucky to photograph all but about 30 of these 500 species. For this post, here’s a reminder of just 20 of them:

The Candlesnuff Fungus, Xylaria hypoxylon, Heene Cemetery, December 2020.

The Candlesnuff Fungus, Xylaria hypoxylon, Heene Cemetery, December 2020.

The miniature antlers of this fungus have the appearance of stalagmites that have been growing in a lightless cavern. So small that they could easily have been overlooked, they had emerged from the stump of a long-toppled tree. We don’t think they are used as food by any other species.

Common Dog-violet, Viola riviniana var.purpurea, Heene Cemetery, April 2022.

Common Dog-violet, Viola riviniana var.purpurea, Heene Cemetery, April 2022.

Viewed up-close, it’s difficult to see why this flower may be common or inferior to other violets (as the ‘dog’ element of its name suggests). Maybe it’s its lack of scent? One needs something of a hawk-eye to spot these tiny, delicate flowers as they emerge in spring.

European Stag Beetle, Lucanus cervus, Heene Cemetery, May 2022. (Photo credit: Teri Kerr.)

European Stag Beetle, Lucanus cervus, Heene Cemetery, May 2022. (Photo credit: Teri Kerr)

The battle tank of our beetles, the male European Stag is equipped to fend off competing males by grabbing them with its strong jaws and heaving them beyond the zone of hopeful matrimony. Found only in the south-east of Britain, they are scarce. Their larvae can take six years to develop, but these adults live for just one. Find one flying, head and jaws up, body tipped at an angle of 30 to 40 degrees, and you will never forget it!

Field Horsetail, Equisetum arvense, Heene Cemetery, March 2022.

Field Horsetail, Equisetum arvense, Heene Cemetery, March 2022.

This fertile cone of the Field Horsetail releases spores (making the plant a non-flowering one that does not produce pollen or seeds). The mature, many-branched, sterile green plants resemble clusters of miniature asparagus. Both forms of the plant have ancestors reaching back all the way to the Palaeozoic period, some 100 million years ago.

Goat Willow, Salix caprea, Heene Cemetery, March 2021.

Goat Willow, Salix caprea, Heene Cemetery, March 2021.

Favoured by goats, who like the taste of this tree’s bark, Goat Willows are tremendously important as pollen and nectar producers for insects in early spring, although they themselves are pollinated as much by wind as by insects. Walk round these trees in March, and the buzzing of bumblebees and bees in their feasting will delight anyone. This frenzy continues after the catkins have fallen to the ground: the bees will join them, gleaning the remains of the tree’s bounty. The catkins shown here are male; on other trees, those with a green appearance are female. Later in the year, aphids will invisibly populate these trees, which in turn become food for hoverflies.

Grey-patched Mining Bee, Andrena nitida, Heene Cemetery, April 2022.

Grey-patched Mining Bee, Andrena nitida, Heene Cemetery, April 2022.

This handsome, fox-coloured bee is a miner, one of 67 of this type of bee in Britain. (We’ve seen just two in the cemetery – so far!) It nests singly in turf and lawns, and is in flight between March to mid-July. Dandelions are amongst their favourite food sources, so no ‘weeding’, please!

Holly Blue, Cetastriba argiolus britanna, Heene Cemetery, April 2022.

Holly Blue, Cetastriba argiolus britanna, Heene Cemetery, April 2022

This butterfly derives its name from the Holly bush/tree on which it lays its single eggs in spring. (It also happens to do the same on Common Ivy for its summer brood.) This association between insects/butterflies/moths and particular plants is one of the most striking things that the cemetery’s ecology tells us. Everywhere we look, there are multiple dependencies that link different species. In terms of site management, this requires us to consider potential vulnerabilities.

Jay, Garrulus glandarius, Heene Cemetery, November 2022. (Photo credit: Dora Nightingale.)

Jay, Garrulus glandarius, Heene Cemetery, November 2022. (Photo credit: Dora Nightingale)

Captured by a motion-sensitive camera, this Jay’s bombing run is dazzling. Their shyness is unusual for such a large bird. Perhaps this arises from their furtive habits of snapping up and burying acorns. The ‘gland’ part of their Latin name means ‘acorn’, and the ‘garrulus’ part of their Latin name is reflective of their noisily garrulous voice.

Unidentified ichneumon wasp or sawfly, Heene Cemetery, June 2022.

Unidentified ichneumon wasp or sawfly, Heene Cemetery, June 2022.

This insect is the only unnamed one on this list (and has therefore not been included in our species count). It might be a sawfly, but we think it’s very likely to be an ichneumon wasp, a type of solitary, predatory wasp (in their larval form). We’ve photographed perhaps ten different types of insect with this form, each having different colouration, and none of them have been identified by any of the specialists whom we’ve contacted. If this individual is an ichneumon, it will be one of 2,500 different species that can be found in Britain. Numerically, that’s 10% of all British insects. Clearly, we are inching our way into unknown territory here – a Rumsfeldian ‘known unknown‘.

Ivy Bee, Colletes hederae, Heene Cemetery, September 2022.

Ivy Bee, Colletes hederae, Heene Cemetery, September 2022.

Here’s another example of species dependence. The Ivy Bee is dependent upon Common Ivy, a great source of pollen and nectar. As Ivy flowers in early autumn, this bee is the last solitary bee to emerge in the year. This is a type of plasterer bee, name because it lines its nest cell with a cellophane substance which is waterproof and fungus-resistant. The bee’s tongue functions as a plasterer’s trowel. These cells are made underground in light soil.

Marbled White, Melanargia galathea, Heene Cemetery, June 2022.

Marbled White, Melanargia galathea, Heene Cemetery, June 2022.

This butterfly’s name befits the delicacy and grace seen in the patterning of its wing underside. Nature has bestowed upon it a preference for purple flowers, such as the Common Knapweed seen here. 2022 was a good year for the Marbled White. Even so, this one flew in and settled for just a few minutes, and that has been our only sighting of this butterfly in the cemetery.

Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus, Heene Cemetery, May 2022.

Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus, Heene Cemetery, May 2022.

Episyrphus balteatus is Britain (and the cemetery’s) most common hoverfly. It is a pollinator – and it does NOT sting. We have seen 21 different types of hoverfly in the cemetery so far. Britain is home to about 285. This particular species is noted for its colour variations: orange when they develop in hot conditions, but darker when they develop in cooler conditions. We have also seen individuals with distinctive red tracery just under their abdominal surface, internal tubules rarely seen in other photographs of the species. Check out these photographs here. (The colloquial English name refers to the insect’s colouration, not its food preference!) Although these hoverflies can appear in huge migrating clouds from Europe, individually they have a special grace and beauty.

Michaelmas Daisy, Aster agg., Heene Cemetery, October 2020.

Michaelmas Daisy, Aster agg., Heene Cemetery, October 2020.

The Feast Day of St. Michael is (in England) September 29th. These perennial daisies appear around about then and therefore provide a valuable supply of end-of-season nectar and pollen when the flowering season of many other plants and flowers has ended. The drought of 2022 shrivelled these plants in September, no doubt with dramatic consequences for the cemetery’s pollinating insects, although heavy rains returned them to a semblance of normality towards the end of that month.

Oxeye Daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare, Heene Cemetery, May 2022.

Oxeye Daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare, Heene Cemetery, May 2022.

After the umbellifer Hogweed, Oxeye Daisy flowers have been snapped photographically supplying nectar and pollen to more insects than any other flower species in the cemetery. Their value is therefore immense, far out-shadowing their otherwise rather plain appearance. Thinning them out over-aggressively would have a very negative impact upon the wide diversity of pollinating insects that rely upon them.

Quaking Grass, Briza media, Heene Cemetery, June 2020.

Quaking Grass, Briza media, Heene Cemetery, June 2020.

A strong case can be made for sowing more Quaking Grass, as its seeds provide sustenance for House Sparrows and Greenfinches, especially as only three or four examples have been seen in the cemetery. This grass must be a survivor from the time when the cemetery was undisturbed meadowland. A more delicate and graceful plant would be difficult to find, its ovoid spikelets dancing and trembling in the air even on a still day. If they did only that and tasted terrible to small birds, it would still justify their existence!

Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly, Xanthogramma pedissequum, Heene Cemetery, August 2022.

Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly, Xanthogramma pedissequum, Heene Cemetery, August 2022.

These hoverflies are just over a centimetre in length, and sport an unusual and distinctive pair of yellow stripes that run front to back along the sides of the thorax. They lay their larvae inside the nests of ants, where they feed on aphids. This is one of the fascinating examples of specialization that can be found in almost any habitat, but which is encountered in abundance in the cemetery.

Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee, Bombus vestalis, Heene Cemetery, July 2022.

Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee, Bombus vestalis, Heene Cemetery, July 2022.

The Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee has no pollen ‘baskets’ on their legs, because they don’t collect pollen. They feed from flowers until they are ready to do what their name suggests, namely invade another creature’s nest, in this case the colony of the Buff-tailed Bumblebee, where she will lay her own eggs. When the resulting larvae hatch, they will consume the host larva’s pollen ball. They have thicker cuticles, enabling them to withstand more of the defensive stings of these host bumblebees.

Western Hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus, Heene Cemetery, September 2021.

Western Hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus, Heene Cemetery, September 2021.

For several years, the Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital in Sidlesham has provided us with rehabilitated hedgehogs to care for. As these small mammals approach the hibernation period, we try to check their weight. Upturned on a weighing scale, they give us a glimpse of their faces.

White Plume Moth, Pterophorus pentadactyla, Heene Cemetery, June 2022.

White Plume Moth, Pterophorus pentadactyla, Heene Cemetery, June 2022.

The spectral delicacy of this cruciform grass moth is worth seeing close-up. It is largely nocturnal (a surprise given its colour), flying between June and July. It prefers the cover of long grass, which makes it difficult to photograph. This moth is surprisingly common throughout Britain.

Wild Carrot, Daucus carota carota, Heene Cemetery, August 2020.

Wild Carrot, Daucus carota carota, Heene Cemetery, August 2020.

The Wild Carrot (no relation) starts to open its flower head in late June. For the next few months, this umbellifer provides nourishment to an array of creatures, including pollinating flies, bees and hoverflies, as well as ladybirds, shield bugs and bush-crickets. At this stage in its life, one can usually see a single red or purple flower in the middle of the larger, white cluster. The plants are also known as Queen Anne’s Lace, which describes the concave nests of seeds that will eventually replace the white cluster in late summer. The spike-tipped seeds traditionally hitch a ride on the flanks of passing animals, and are thus distributed for the next year. Lacking such transport in the cemetery, we need to help out by planting our own.

Encouraging biodiversity in Heene Cemetery

The principles being followed in Heene Cemetery are:

  • Use no chemicals.
  • Mow rarely, if at all. In our case, the Council do this when the grass is at its longest and an Open Day is planned. A single pass down the centre of the main paths is mown – as a safety precaution.
  • Strim rarely. In the cemetery, a mid-year strim of the longest grasses simulates meadow grazing. An end-of-summer cut which leaves cut stems and heads lying, before being collected a week or so later, simulates harvest.
  • Rein in the unwanted expansion of invasive species that would otherwise dominate, such as brambles.
  • Stop considering certain plants as being ‘weeds’. Unless they are invasive species (see above), they are plants and flowers in their own right with a value to other species.
  • Allow a degree of untidiness. For example, stack fallen twigs and branches where they can provide shelter for insects and invertebrates.
  • Plant successor saplings that will replace trees that die or are damaged. (For example, we have planted disease-resistant Elm trees that will be of value to the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly.)

Heene Cemetery, June 2020.

Heene Cemetery, June 2020.

In just a few years of this ‘regime’, the results speak for themselves. We can say with certainty that far fewer species would have been counted in the cemetery had this more enlightened approach not been taken.

The wider view: COP15 in Montreal

Discussion in Montreal has much ground to cover. (This UN Biodiversity Conference is not the same as COP27 that was recently held in Egypt, which was concerned with climate, carbon emissions, ocean level rise, adaptation and justice. That is an annual conference, whereas the biodiversity conferences, of which Montreal COP15 is one, are held less frequently. Read more on this on the UN’s website – and the UN’s environment programme website.)

For biodiversity, the challenges are different (although equally demanding): to conserve land and oceans from further damage, to stop pesticide use, prevent extinctions, put an end to government subsidies that support harmful environmental practices, stop plastic pollution, curb invasive species, and generally support the restoration of nature. Co-ordinated top-down government action is essential globally – but won’t be sufficient on its own. Individuals and families everywhere have a role to play – and it isn’t necessary to wait for leadership. Here at home, anyone can jump in and adapt their own garden, however small the space available.

Research shows that in the UK, 85% of the nectar supply for pollinating insects comes from private gardens in towns and cities. That’s because our rural environment has suffered atrocious harm, lying in the bottom 10% of countries worldwide in terms of biodiversity. It wasn’t always like this, but farming practices, urban sprawl and human activity have reduced our country’s biodiversity by a half since the industrial revolution. (Read more on this on the Natural History Museum’s website.)

You may know this already without needing to read up on the subject. Perhaps you remember how splattered with insects your car’s windscreen became after even a short cross-country journey at night – or how clouds of insects would be drawn to an outside light by the time you returned home at night. Not these days. Such quantities of insects have gone, unable to cope with pesticides and insecticides, and the inexorable onward march of ‘civilization’.

In spite of this gloomy situation, there is hope: nearly 30% of the land in Britain’s urban areas consists of domestic gardens. That’s six times the volume of parks and 40 times the area of allotments. The plants and flowers in these private gardens are therefore supporting the majority of the country’s pollinating insects. Our gardens are doing what most of our countryside has stopped doing. Small, local action therefore matters massively. Opting for a less buttoned-up style of gardening, letting nature decide what it wants to do, could – at scale – be immensely effective.

Assisting pollinators is only part of the story, as insects of all types need the kind of help outlined above. These little consumers, predators and decomposers perform functions without which mankind could not survive. As the great American scientist and naturalist Edward O. Wilson (1929-2021) presciently said:

So important are insects and other land-dwelling arthropods that if all were to disappear, humanity probably could not last more than a few months.

Edward O. Wilson, The Diversity of Life, 1992, p. 125

As we have said before, “gardeners have a choice. Either they have a neat and tidy garden, or they have wildlife. They can’t have both.”

To quote Edward O. Wilson once more:

The only hope for the species still living is a human effort commensurate with the magnitude of the problem.

From a review of Edward O. Wilson’s Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life on the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation website.

Transforming our gardens can be part of that effort. We shall keep the species count going in Heene Cemetery.


[In case you missed some of our previous posts about the different species in Heene Cemetery, do check some of them out: trees, lichens, hoverflies, crickets and grass-hoppers, and mosses.]

Written by Rob Tomlinson