Freshfield Dune Heath is a mixture of woodland, scrub and acidic grassland woven through a lowland dune heath: 9% of the national total of this incredibly rare habitat. It is the single largest lowland heath site in North West England.
Recorders: Leanna Dixon, Phil Brighton, Phil Smith, Elina Doss, Chloe Aldridge, Seema Aggarwal, Steve Cross, Steve Garland, Andy Bissitt, Mary Dean, Rod Hill, Paul Brennan, Michael Pentland, Pete Kinsella, Mike Malone
Records:
Notable Records:
Rhamphomyia variabilis (Empididae), P. Brighton
- Collected from heather in unusually large numbers.
- 159 NBN Atlas published UK records, mainly in Wales with some across the Midlands and into Scotland (nbnatlas.org.uk).
- Little is known about their ecology, but other species in the genus form large mating swarms, usually around spring or mid-summer (naturespot.org.uk). Males of other empid species are known to give nuptial gifts of insect prey to females.
Pantilius tunicatus (Miridae), P. Brighton
- Collected from heather.
- 4th VC59 record. 499 NBN Atlas published records, scattered throughout the UK (nbnatlas.org.uk).
- This mirid feeds on hazel, alder, and birch where it can be found on the lower branches of those trees. It can be seen from September to October (britishbugs.org.uk).
