Insect List for Oldbury Power Station
The following documents an ongoing attempt to identifying the insects (and Spiders and Worms). The initial list was compiled by Matt Plenty, with thanks.
(All photos taken at OPS.)
Jump to Grasshoppers and Crickets Jump to Butterflies Jump to Moths
Jump to Flies Jump to Wasps Jump to Bees
Jump to Beetles Jump to Spiders Jump to Worms and Ants
Odonata - Dragonflies
Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) Annual
Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) Annual
Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella) Annual
Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) Annual
Small
Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma viridulum) Infrequent
since first seen on 23/7/14 (The small black
'x' at the end of the tail is diagnostic)
Southern
Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) Annual
Migrant
Hawker (Aeshna mixta) Annual
Emperor
(Anax imperator) Annual
Four-spotted
Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata)
Infrequent
Broad-bodied
Chaser (Libellula depressa)
Annual (male, left, and female, right, below)
Black-tailed
Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)
Infrequent (photo on right below is a very old female – patterns dull with
age)
Common
Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) Annual
Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) (photo on right below is a female - photo by TK)
Lesser Emperor
Yellow-winged Darter (Sympetrum flaveolum) BRERC record, 14/8/95. Rare migrant.
Emerald Damselfly Reported in 90's (info. from Martin Hayes).
Southern Migrant Hawker- rare migrant - photo on left below is a male (by Heather England), and on right is female (by Mark Coller). Amazingly seen mating ! Aug 2023
Hairy Dragonfly - photos by Matt Plenty, showing hairs. April 2024
Grasshoppers
Field Grasshopper
Meadow Grasshopper
Lesser Marsh Grasshopper
Bush-Crickets
Oak Bush-cricket (Aug '25)
Short-winged Conehead (9/7/23, MP)
Long-winged Conehead (20/10/13)
Great Green Bush-Cricket
Roesel’s Bush-Cricket (Annual since 2014)
Dark Bush-cricket (BRERC record, 18/06/02)
Speckled Bush-cricket (BRERC record, 20/07/08)
Butterflies
Small
Skipper Annual
Essex
Skipper Annual since 19/7/11
Large
Skipper Annual
Grizzled Skipper (Regularly seen in 1980s and one seen 1.6.12)
Dingy Skipper (80s and 90s)
Clouded Yellow Annual - usually along the seawall, by Lagoons 1 & 2
Brimstone Annual
Large White Annual
Small White Annual
Green-veined White Annual
Orange Tip Annual
Green Hairstreak in hedge between Lagoons 1 and 2 (29/4/06)
Purple
Hairstreak (5/7/14 and seen annually since
2015 along main rhine)
White-letter Hairstreak BRERC record, 7/7/93
Holly Blue Annual
Brown
Argus Infrequent/ scarce
Common
Blue Annual
Small
Copper Annual (male on left, female on right, in photos below)
Also form caeruleopunctata - Small Copper with a row of blue spots
inside the orange border, 1/10/2018 & 29/7/21
Red
Admiral Annual
Painted
Lady Annual
Small
Tortoiseshell Annual but increasingly scarce
Peacock Annual
Comma
Annual
Marbled
White Common/ Annual in 80s and 90s, now infrequent/ scarce
Speckled
Wood Annual
Wall Infrequent/ scarce. Not seen since 90s.
Gatekeeper Annual
Meadow
Brown Annual
Small Heath Annual
Ringlet
Silver-washed Fritillary along main rhine/meadow in Aug 2019
Moths
Shaded Broad-bar Scotopteryx cheopodiata
Red underwing, 16/8/2008
Drinker (caterpillar), 31/05/08
Large
Yellow Underwing, 3 Aug 2008
Latticed
Heath, 14/8/04
Silver-Y,
17/7/06
Streamer, 17/4/09.
Blue-bordered Carpet, 3/7/10
Common Carpet, 22/6/19
Silver-ground Carpet, 20.5/21
Orange Underwing, 3/9/11
Magpie Moth, 27/8/12
Oak Eggar - large brown/orange males fly in day in summer (caterpillar,
9/5/14, big female in light-trap, 13/8/21)
Small Eggar - Lagoon 3, 1st July 2023
Brimstone Moth, 29/8/17
Mottled Umber, 16/12/2016
Six-spot Burnet
Five-spot Burnet
Lackey – hairy caterpillars in silk 'tents' around Lagoon 2
Cocksfoot – only 3mm long !
Brown-tail
Yellow-tail (do not touch caterpillars - irritant hairs !)
Hummingbird Hawkmoth
Plum Tortrix
Eyed Hawkmoth - in orchard, June 2020
Jersey Tiger - Lagoon 2, July 2025
Scarlet Tiger - Lagoon 2, June 2020
Swallow-tailed - along shore, July 2020 & moth-trap July 2021
Mottled Beauty
Water Veneer - moth-trap Aug 2021
Elephant Hawkmoth - very large caterpillar.
Fox Moth caterpillar
Winter Moth caterpillar - in orchard
Common Nettle-tap
Companion Moth
Green Longhorn
Yellow Shell (June 2023)
Clifden Nonpareil (1st Sep 2023, found by and photo, Louise Bailey, Lagoon 2)
Early Reveller (29th Feb 2024)
Mother Shipton (16th April 2024, found by and photo, Matt Plenty, Lagoon 2)
Common Wave (June 2025, Lagoon 3)
Six-banded Clearwing Moth (13th June 2025, found by surveyor, meadow on right of tarmacked track to Lagoon 2)
Large Red-belted Clearwing (9/7/2018 in orchard, to pheromone lure, Ben Ofield)
White Plume (June 2025)
The following 33 species were added to the OPS list when a light-trap was put in the orchard overnight on 23/7/21. (And another 9 species already on the OPS list also seen.)
Aceleris Forsskaleana (Tortrix sp.)
Bird-cherry Ermine
Black Arches - 2 (m + f)
Bufftip
Carcina Quercana (prob)
Cloaked Minor
Clouded Silver
Codling Moth
Common Emerald
Common Footman - 20+
Common Quaker
Common Wainscot - 2
Dark Arches
Dingy Footman - 3+
Dun-bar - 2
Early Thorn
Eudotricha Fammealis
Gypsonoma Aceriana
Nut-tree Tussock - 2
Oak Hook tip
Pale Prominent - 2
Pebble Prominent
Privet Hawkmoth
Riband Wave
Rosy Footman - 4
Ruby Tiger - 3
Scalloped Oak
Small Emerald
Straw Underwing
Striped Wainscot
Willow Beauty - 2
White-spotted Pug.
The following 12 species were added to the OPS list when a light-trap was put in the orchard again overnight on 13/8/21. (And another 4 species already on the OPS list also seen.)
Orange Swift
The following 27 species are from old BRERC records. Teasel Marble 20/7/2008 Yellow-spot Twist 20/7/2008 Common Marble 20/7/2008 Rhomboid Tortrix 14/9/2001 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer 14/9/2001 Long-horned Flat-body 14/9/2001 Sallow 14/9/2001 Bordered Carl 14/9/2001 Light Brown Apple Moth 14/9/2001 Rosy Rustic 14/9/2001 Snout 14/9/2001 Pear Leaf Blister Moth 14/9/2001 Apple Leaf Minor 14/9/2001 Skin Moth 14/9/2001 Smoky Wainscot 14/9/2001 Flame Shoulder 14/9/2001 Lunar Underwing 14/9/2001 Hawthorn Slender 14/9/2001 Barred Sallow 14/9/2001 Pale Eggar 14/9/2001 Setaceous Hebrew Character 14/9/2001 Square-spot Rustic 14/9/2001 Sulphur Pearl 13/8/96 Straw Grass-veneer 4/8/94 Narrow Bordered Five-spot Burnet 4/8/94 Cinnabar 20/7/08 Light Brocade, dead in bird hide, 1/7/96 The following 67 species are from old BRERC records of a Light session. Common Cloaked Shoot 28/7/2008 Ermine Knot-horn 28/7/2008 Scarce Footman 28/7/2008 Bud Moth 28/7/2008 Knapweed Conch 28/7/2008 Cloaked Minor 28/7/2008 Garden Grass-veneer 28/7/2008 Black-headed Conch 28/7/2008 Barred Grass-veneer 28/7/2008 Thistle Ermine 28/7/2008 Grey Knot-horn 28/7/2008 Bordered Marble 28/7/2008 Chalk Knot-horn 28/7/2008 Satin Grass-veneer 28/7/2008 Bulrush Veneer 28/7/2008 Pebble Hook-tip 28/7/2008 Plain Conch 28/7/2008 Rustic 28/7/2008 Timothy Tortrix 28/7/2008 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 28/7/2008 Common Yellow Conch 28/7/2008 Dusky Sallow 28/7/2008 Garden Carpet 28/7/2008 Rosy Conch 28/7/2008 Shuttle-shaped Dart 28/7/2008 Heart & Club 28/7/2008 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix 28/7/2008 Ribwort Slender 28/7/2008 Tawny Speckled Pug 28/7/2008 Ling Pug 28/7/2008 Brindled Flat-body 28/7/2008 Lime-speck Pug 28/7/2008 Little Conch28/7/2008 Spindle Ermine28/7/2008 Brown-spot Flat-body 28/7/2008 Large Clover Case-bearer 28/7/2008 Single-dotted Wave 28/7/2008 Small Blood-vein 28/7/2008 Double-striped Pug28/7/2008 Inlaid Grass-veneer 28/7/2008 Rosy Tabby 28/7/2008 Smoky-barred Marble 28/7/2008 Dark Dagger 28/7/2008 Uncertain 28/7/2008 Purple Bar 28/7/2008 Clay 28/7/2008 Small Grey 28/7/2008 Red Twin-spot Carpet 28/7/2008 Wainscot Smudge 28/7/2008 Dotted Oak Knot-horn 28/7/2008 Double-square Spot 28/7/2008 Hoary Belle 28/7/2008 Blood-vein 28/7/2008 Lesser-spotted Pinion 28/7/2008 Diamond-back Moth 28/7/2008 Orange Crest 28/7/2008 Cabbage Moth 28/7/2008 Bulrush Cosmet 28/7/2008 Grey Tortrix 28/7/2008 Common Rustic 28/7/2008 Mother of Pearl 28/7/2008 Purple Argent 28/7/2008 Copper Ermel28/7/2008 Apple Ermine 28/7/2008 Pale-streak Grass-veneer 28/7/2008 Ghost Moth 28/7/2008 Marbled Bell 28/7/2008 White-headed Ermel 28/7/2008 Daddy
Long legs Tupulidae oleracea Spotted Crane Fly (Nephrotoma appendiculata, BRERC record, 2/5/91) Symplecta stictica - a small crane fly (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Long-legged
fly Poecilobothrus nobilatus *Eristalinus sepulchralis
(localised/ declining hoverfly sp. associated
with wetlands. One of only 2 sp of hoverfly that have
'spotted eyes'.) *Tropidea scita (local hoverfly
sp., found in reedbeds) Scaeva pyrastri Helophilus pendulus (Sun Fly) Volucella pellucans Volucella zonaria - Hornet Hoverfly Eupeodes luniger Eristalis tenax Marmalade
fly Rhingia campestris Eristalis intricaria Snipe
fly Rhagio scolopacea Dotted
Bee fly Bombylius discolour Dark-edged
Bee fly Bombylius major Empis tessellate Mesembrina meridian Greenbottle Drone-fly Semaphore Fly St. Mark's Fly Twin-lobbed Deerfly Black-horned Gem Fly Waisted Beegrabber Common Conopid Two-banded Wasp Hoverfly (Chrysotoxum Bicinctum) Stripe-faced Dronefly (Eristalis Nemorum) Graphomya maculata Banded General (Stratiomys potamida) Picture-winged Fly (Euleia heraclei) Helophilus trivittatus (BRERC record, 18/6/02) Leucozona lucorum (BRERC record, 18/6/02) Volucella bombylans (BRERC record, 18/6/02) Adia cinerella (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Anthomyia liturata (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Botanophila fugax (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Botanophila striolata/discreta agg. (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Turnip Maggot Fly - Delia florilega (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Seedcorn Maggot Fly/Bean Seed Fly - Delia platura (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Dicranomyia mitis (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Hylemya variata (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Pegoplata infirma (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Tricyphona immaculata (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Pegomya bicolor (BRERC record, 2/5/91) Broad Centurion, Chloromyia formosa (BRERC record, 20/7/08) Notch-horned Clegg, Haematopota pluvialis (BRERC record, 20/7/08) German Scorpionfly Lacewings Common Green Lacewing Alder
fly Common
wasp Hornet Conops quadrifasciata Oak Marble Gall
Wasp (Andricus kollari) Acorn or Knopper
Gall Wasp (Andricus quercuscalicis) Rose Gall Wasp
(Diplolepsis Rosae) Crown Gall (caused by Bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens) - here on Sallow Fig Gall (caused by an aphid called Tetraneura ulmi.) - on Wych Elm Willow Blister Gall (probably caused by Willow Redgall Sawfly (Pontania proxima) or Willow Apple Gall Sawfly.) - on Grey Willow Turnip Sawfly Tenthredopsis Litterata Gasteruption Jaculator Gasteruption Assectator Yellow Ophion (Ophion Luteus) Orange-legged Darwin Wasp (Pimpla rufipes) Orange-brown Darwin Wasp (Orphion scutellaris), March 2023 Hedgerow Darwin Wasp (Heteropelma amictum), Aug 2025 Black-tipped Darwin Wasp (Enicospilus ramidulus), Sept 2025 Hogweed Fly Fox (Ectemnius Lituratus) Field Digger Wasp (Mellinus Arvensis) Loosestrife Sawfly - feeding on Yellow Loosestrife. probable Social Pear Sawfly
Bulrush Wainscot
Thicket Knot-horn (Acrobasis Suavenella)
Copper Underwing
Grey Dagger
Ear Moth
Crescent
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Mocha
Swallow Prominent
Lesser/Common Rustic agg.
Crambus sp. (very faded)
Crane-flies (aka Daddy-Long-Legs)
Diptera - True Flies
Wasps
Elm Zigzag Sawfly (found by Louise Bailey, Aug 2025) - Asian invasive.
Bee-wolf
Bees
Heather colletes Colletes succinctus (probably this sp. Seen near gate to shore on lag 3 many times in 2018. Fast flying and very difficult to photograph).
*Large Meadow Mining bee Andrena labialis
Tawny
Mining bee Andrena
fulva
Patchwork Leafcutter bee
Gwynnes Mining bee Andrena bicolor
Red-tailed Cuckoo bee
Buff-tailed Bumblebee
White-tailed Bumblebee
Red-tailed Bumblebee
Common carder Bumblebee
Brown-banded Carder Bee (queen on right below), Lagoon 3 in 2022
Early Bumblebee
Hairy footed flower bee
Honey bee
Goodan's Nomad bee
Flavous Nomad bee
Lathbury's Nomad Bee
Hawthorn
Mining Bee Andrena chrysosceles
Orange-tailed
Mining Bee Andrena haemorroa
Yellow-legged
Mining Bee Andrena flavipes
Ashy
Mining Bee Andrena cineraria
Grey-banded Mining Bee (Andrena denticulata)
Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis
Grey-patched
Mining Bee Andrena nitida
Long-horned Bee (female and male below)
Wilke's Mining Bee
Beetles
Violet Ground Beetle
7-spot Ladybird
10-spot Ladybird
24-spot Ladybird
14-spot Ladybird - Oct 2004, Jul 2023(MP)
Harlequin – invasive species
Swollen-thighed Beetle (male left, female right, below)
Soldier Beetle
Red Soldier Beetle
Aphodiini quadrimaculatus, a small Dung Beetle
Paederus littoralis, a predatory Beetle
Lagria Hirta
Giant Diving Beetle - in pond by Lagoon 2
Common Leaf Weevil
Apple Twig Cutter Weevil - Involvulus icosandriae
Red-headed Cardinal Beetle
Lesser Stag Beetle
Supertramp (a Water Beetle) - rhantus suturalis
Two species of small Water Beetle/Beetle
Two species of Water Boatman
Elm Bark Beetle
Agonum Muelleri
Green Tortoise Beetle, Cassida viridis (BRERC record, 20/7/08)
Agonum emarginatum (BRERC record, 2/5/91)
Amara communis (BRERC record, 2/5/91)
Bembidion lunulatum (BRERC record, 2/5/91)
Bembidion obtusum (BRERC record, 2/5/91)
Paranchus albipes (BRERC record, 2/5/91)
Poecilus cupreus (BRERC record, 2/5/91)
Pterostichus strenuus (BRERC record, 2/5/91)
Alder Leaf Beetle
Wasp Beetle
Black-and-Yellow Longhorn Beetle
Rufous-shouldered Longhorn Beetle
Soronia grisea
Yellow-haired Click Beetle - first for S. Gloucs., on saltmarsh logs at Shepperdine
Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle
Willow Flea Beetle
Frog-hoppers
Red and Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata (very common in long grass all around OPS)
Leaf-hoppers
Eared Leafhopper
Bugs
Common Damsel Bug
Red Spotted Plantbug
Dock Bug
The following 15 species are from old BRERC records.
Common Flower Bug (Anthocoris nemorum) 20/7/2008
Parent Bug (Elasmucha grisea) 20/7/2008
Lucerne Bug (Adelphocoris lineolatus) 20/7/2008
Timothy Grassbug (Stenotus binotatus) 20/7/2008
Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) 20/7/2008
Meadow Plant Bug (Leptopterna dolabrata) 20/7/2008
Mirid Bug (Deraeocoris ruber) 20/7/2008
Dicyphus epilobii 20/7/2008
Heterotoma planicornis 20/7/2008
Liocoris tripustulatus 20/7/2008
Myrmus miriformis 20/7/2008
Notostira elongata 20/7/2008
Oedemera lurida 20/7/2008
Stenodema laevigata 20/7/2008
Dyschirius tristis 2/5/91
Spiders
Enoplognatha ovata
Crab Spider
Zebra Spider
Nurseryweb Spider, Pisaura mirabalis
Harvestman - Phalangium opilio
Red Spider-mite
Cucumber Spider - Araniella cucurbitina
Worms
Common Earthworm
Ragworm - see note 1 below
Capitella spp.(worms of estuary mud) - see note 1 below
Note 1 - identified in 'Severn Estuary SAC and SPA:Intertidal Mud & Sandflats Condition Assessment 2012'
publications.naturalengland.org.uk/file/4717872094380032
Centipedes, Millipedes & Earwigs
Banded Centipede
Common Earwig
Ants
Black Ant
Common Red Ant
No. of species = 419
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