Public footpath facing Rousebarn Lane
Elm hedge, Rousebarn Lane
Oak
Bridleway with Larch
Bridleway
Prunus avium stump
| Whippendell Wood | |
|
Covering an area of 165
acres Whippendell wood is situated to the west of Watford
. The Grand Union canal and the river Gade runs alongside to the east
separating the wood from Cassiobury park with which once formed the major part
of the Cassiobury estate. Local knowledge has it that the wood is mentioned in
the Domesday book (1085) but it is at least 400-500 years old hence its
designation by Natural England as an 'Ancient Wood'. Whippendell was originally notified
as an SSSI in 1954 and renotified in 1986. Over the years the wood has seen several man influenced changes; the northern part was cleared (1750-1880) and replanted with conifers and broadleaved trees, during World War II some specimens trees were removed and replaced with Silver Birch and Ash and it received several large bomb hits the craters of which are still clearly visible, more areas were cleared in the 1960’s (Forestry Commision?) and replanted with Beech and more Conifers. More specimen trees were lost in the storm of 1987. As an SSSI the wood is now managed by Watford Council to meet Natural England’s objectives of maintaining woodland composition. Sadly this doesn’t prevent some local residents using the wood as a dump or trial bike track. The main species of tree in the wood are Penduculate Oak (Quercus robur), Beech (Fagus sylvatica), Silver birch (Betula pendula), and Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) although Hazel (Corylus avellana), Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), Holly (Ilex aquilifolium), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Wild Cherry (Prunus avium), Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) are also present although the Sycamores are to be gradually felled as with NE policy to allow regeneration of natural species. There are large areas of Bramble, bracken and Dog’s Mercury and several open glades. Dead wood is allowed to rot down which provides a perfect habitat for several rare and uncommon species of fungi, in fact Crepidotus cinnabarinus was found in 1995 as a new British record and only the 4th European record. Muntjac deer can be seen throughout the wood. |
Public footpath facing Rousebarn Lane |
Elm hedge, Rousebarn Lane |
Oak |
Bridleway with Larch |
Bridleway |
Prunus avium stump |
| Species List | Comments | |
| Apionidae | ||
| Apion frumentarium | ||
| Betulapion simile | ||
| Perapion curtirostre | ||
| Perapion violaceum | ||
| Protapion fulvipes | ||
| Biphyllidae | ||
| Biphyllus lunatus | ||
| Byturidae | ||
| Byturus ochraceus | ||
| Byturus tomentosus | ||
| Cantharidae | ||
| Cantharis cryptica | ||
| Cantharis decipiens | ||
| Cantharis lateralis | ||
| Cantharis nigricans | ||
| Cantharis pellucida | ||
| Cantharis rustica | ||
| Malthinus baleatus | ||
| Malthinus seriepunctatus | ||
| Podabrus alpinus | ||
| Rhagonycha fulva | ||
| Rhagonycha lignosa | ||
| Rhagonycha limbata | ||
| Rhagonycha translucida | ||
| Carabidae | ||
| Abax parallelepipedus | ||
| Agonum muelleri | ||
| Amara aenea | ||
| Amara anthobia | ||
| Amara familiaris | ||
| Amara lunicollis | ||
| Amara ovata | ||
| Amara plebeja | ||
| Amara similata | ||
| Asaphidion curtum | ||
| Badister bullatus | ||
| Bembidion tetracolum | ||
| Bradycellus verbasci | ||
| Calathus fuscipes | ||
| Calathus rotundicollis | ||
| Carabus nemoralis | ||
| Carabus violaceus | ||
| Curtonotus aulicus | ||
| Cychrus caraboides | ||
| Demetrias atricapillus | ||
| Harpalus affinis | ||
| Harpalus latus | ||
| Harpalus rufipes | ||
| Leistus spinibarbis | ||
| Nebria brevicollis | ||
| Notiophillus biguttatus | ||
| Notiophillus rufipes | ||
| Ocys harpaloides | ||
| Ophonus rufibarbis | ||
| Pterostichus madidus | ||
| Pterostichus melanarius | ||
| Pterostichus niger | ||
| Pterostichus nigrita | ||
| Pterostichus oblongopunctatus | ||
| Pterostichus strenuus | ||
| Cerambycidae | ||
| Alosterna tabacicolor | ||
| Anaglypta mysticus | ||
| Clytus arietus | ||
| Grammoptera ruficornis | ||
| Obrium brunneum | ||
| Pogonocherus hispidus | ||
| Prionus coriarius | ||
| Rutpela maculata | ||
| Cerylonidae | ||
| Cerylon ferigineum | ||
| Cerylon histeroides | ||
| Chrysomelidae | ||
| Altica oleracea | ||
| Apteropeda globosa | ||
| Aphthona atrocaerulea | ||
| Aphthona euphorbiae | ||
| Cassida flaveola | ||
| Chrysolina oricalcia | ||
| Crepidodera aurata | ||
| Epitrix pubescens | ||
| Gastrophysa viridula | ||
| Hermaeophaga mercurialis | ||
| Lochmaea crataegi | ||
| Longitarsus dorsalis | ||
| Longitarsus luridus | ||
| Oulema melanopus | ||
| Oulema rufocyanea | ||
| Phaedon armoraciae | ||
| Phaedon cochleariae | ||
| Phaedon tumidulus | ||
| Phyllotreta atra | ||
| Phyllotreta diademata | ||
| Phyllotreta nigripes | ||
| Phyllotreta ochripes | ||
| Plagiodera versicolor | ||
| Psylliodes cuprea | ||
| Psylliodes luteola | ||
| Ciidae | ||
| Cis bidentatus | ||
| Cis bilamellatus | ||
| Cis boleti | ||
| Octotemnus glabriculus | ||
| Coccinellidae | ||
| Adalia bipunctata | ||
| Adalia decempunctata | ||
| Hippodamia variegata | ||
| Anatis occelata | ||
| Calvia quattuordecimguttata | ||
| Chilocorus renipustulatus | ||
| Coccinella septempunctata | ||
| Exochomus quadripustulatus | ||
| Halyzia sedecimguttata | ||
| Harmonia axyridis | ||
| Nephus quadrimaculatus | ||
| Propylea quattuordecimpunctata | ||
| Rhizobius litura | ||
| Subcoccinella vigintiquattuorpunctata | Cucujidae | |
| Pediacus dermestoides | ||
| Curculionidae | ||
| Anthonomus pedicularius | ||
| Archarius pyrrhocerus | ||
| Barynotus moerens | ||
| Barypeithes araneiformis | ||
| Barypeithes pellucidus | ||
| Coeliodes rana | ||
| Coelositona cambricus | ||
| Curculio glandium | ||
| Dryocoetes autographus | ||
| Euophryum confine | ||
| Hadroplontus trimaculatus | ||
| Hylurgops palliatus | ||
| Magdalis armigera | ||
| Magdalis cerasi | ||
| Mecinus pyraster | ||
| Nedyus quadrimaculatus | ||
| Neliocarus nebulosus | ||
| Orchestes alni | ||
| Orchestes fagi | ||
| Orchestes quercus | ||
| Otiorhyncus singularis | ||
| Parathelcus pollinarius | ||
| Phyllobius argentatus | ||
| Phyllobius pomaceus | ||
| Phyllobius pyri | ||
| Phyllobius viridiaeris | ||
| Polydrusus cervinus | ||
| Polydrusus marginatus | ||
| Polydrusus pterygomalis | ||
| Polydrusus tereticollis | ||
| Rhinoncus pericarpius | ||
| Sitona lineatus | ||
| Sitona lepidus | ||
| Sitona puncticollis | ||
| Strophosoma capitatum | ||
| Strophosoma melanogrammum | ||
| Trichosirocalus troglodytes | ||
| Xyloterus domesticus | ||
| Elateridae | ||
| Agriotes acuminatus | ||
| Agriotes pallidulus | ||
| Agriotes sputator | ||
| Athous haemorrhoidalis | ||
| Athous vittatus | ||
| Ctenicera cuprea | ||
| Denticollis linearis | ||
| Kibunea minuta | ||
| Melanotus villosus | ||
| Endomychidae | ||
| Lycoperdina bovistae | ||
| Erotylidae | ||
| Triplax aenea | ||
| Geotrupidae | ||
| Geotrupes spiniger | ||
| Histeridae | ||
| Margarinotus brunneus | ||
| Margarinotus striola | ||
| Paromalus flavicornis | ||
| Hydrophilidae | ||
| Cercyon haemorrhoidalis | ||
| Cercyon melanocephalus | ||
| Cercyon pygmaeus | ||
| Cryptopleurum minutum | ||
| Kateretidae | ||
| Brachypterolus pulicarius | ||
| Brachypterus glaber | ||
| Brachypterus urticae | ||
| Leiodidae | ||
| Anisotoma humeralis | ||
| Sciodrepoides watsoni | Mackerel carrion trap | |
| Lucanidae | ||
| Dorcus parallelipipedus | ||
| Sinodendron cylindricum | ||
| Lycidae | ||
| Platycis minutus | ||
| Lymexylidae | ||
| Hylecoetus dermestoides | ||
| Melandryidae | ||
| Orchesia undulata | ||
| Melyridae | ||
| Axinotarsus marginalis | ||
| Dasytes aeratus | ||
| Malachius bipustulatus | ||
| Monotomidae | ||
| Monotoma testacea | ||
| Rhizophagus bipustulatus | ||
| Rhizophagus dispar | ||
| Mordellidae | ||
| Mordellochroa abdominalis | ||
| Mycetophagidae | ||
| Mycetophagus atomarius | ||
| Mycetophagus piceus | ||
| Mycetophagus quadripustulatus | ||
| Nitidulidae | ||
| Cychramus luteus | ||
| Epuraea melanocephala | ||
| Meligethes aeneus | ||
| Pocadeus adustus | ||
| Pocadeus ferrugineus | ||
| Oedemeridae | ||
| Ischnomera cyanea | ||
| Oedemera lurida | ||
| Oedemera nobilis | ||
| Orsodacnidae | ||
| Orsodacne cerasi | ||
| Ptinidae | ||
| Hedobia imperialis | ||
| Ptilinus pecticornis | ||
| Pyrochroidae | ||
| Pyrochroa coccinea | ||
| Pyrochroa serraticornis | ||
| Rhynchitidae | ||
| Deporaus betulae | ||
| Neocoenorrhinus aequatus | ||
| Neocoenorrhinus Interpunctatus | ||
| Salpingidae | ||
| Vincenzellus ruficollis | ||
| Scarabaeidae | ||
| Amphimallon solsticiale | ||
| Aphodius ater | ||
| Aphodius contaminatus | ||
| Aphodius conspurcatus | ||
| Aphodius erraticus | ||
| Aphodius fimetarius | ||
| Aphodius fossor | ||
| Aphodius granarius | ||
| Aphodius haemorrhoidalis | ||
| Aphodius obliteratus | ||
| Aphodius prodromus | ||
| Aphodius pusillus | ||
| Aphodius rufipes | ||
| Aphodius rufus | ||
| Aphodius sphacelatus | ||
| Aphodius sticticus | ||
| Aphodius zenkeri | ||
| Melolontha melolontha | ||
| Onthophagus coenobita | ||
| Serica brunnea | ||
| Scraptidae | ||
| Anaspis frontalis | ||
| Anaspis maculata | ||
| Anaspis rufilabris | ||
| Silphidae | ||
| Nicrophorus humator | ||
| Nicrophorus vespillo | ||
| Nicrophorus vespilloides | ||
| Silpha atrata | ||
| Thanatophillus sinuatus | Silvanidae | |
| Silvanus unidentatus | ||
| Uleiota planata | ||
| Staphylinidae | ||
| Anotylus inustus | ||
| Anotylus complanatus | ||
| Anotylus rugosus | ||
| Anotylus sculpturatus | ||
| Atheta castanoptera | ||
| Atrecus affines | ||
| Autalia longicornis | ||
| Autalia rivularis | ||
| Cilea silphoides | ||
| Creophilus maxillosus | ||
| Eusphalerum luteum | ||
| Eusphalerum primulae | ||
| Gabrius splendidulus | ||
| Habrocerus capillaricornis | ||
| Lordithon trinotatus | ||
| Megarthrus denticollis | ||
| Ocypus olens | ||
| Othius punctulatus | ||
| Oxytelus laqueatus | ||
| Paederus riparius | ||
| Philonthus cognatus | ||
| Philonthus decorus | ||
| Philonthus marginatus | ||
| Philonthus succicola | ||
| Platydracus stercorarius | ||
| Quedius lateralis | ||
| Quedius picipes | ||
| Rugilus orbiculatus | ||
| Rugilus rufipes | ||
| Scaphidium quadrimaculatum | ||
| Scaphisoma agaricinium | ||
| Sepedophilus nigripennis | ||
| Tachinus humeralis | ||
| Tachinus marginellus | ||
| Tachinus pallipes | ||
| Tachyporus hypnorum | ||
| Tachyporus pallidus | ||
| Tasgius ater | ||
| Tasgius globulifer | ||
| Trichonyx sulcicollis | ||
| Xantholinus linearis | ||
| Tenebrionidae | ||
| Diaperis boleti | ||
| Eledona agricola | ||
| Lagria hirta | ||
| Nalassus laeioctostriatus | ||