The Great Silver Water Beetle (Hydrophilus piceus) is an enormous aquatic insect clocking in at a massive 4 cm+! It is a threatened species in Britain and until a few days ago it was not known to occur in North Norfolk…but…
On a recent (May 3rd) field trip to the Manor Farm Ponds, Briston (owned and farmed by Richard Waddingham) Helen Greaves, family Greaves and Carl Sayer found a single Great Silver whilst undertaking invertebrate surveys and it was a corker!
The Manor Farm ponds are spring fed marl pits set in agricultural land at the headwaters of the Glaven and Bure rivers. Although they are located within intensively farmed ground they are buffered from the fields and are carefully managed by Richard Waddingham.
I will write more on the Manor Farm ponds later in the summer.
But what a stonking beetle!
Carl Sayer