Samphire Hoe




	Insects
Insects Birds Reptiles & Mammals Plants	Butterflies - 26 species of butterflies have been recorded on the Hoe. The most abundant are common blue, meadow brown and painted lady. The more unusal seen on the Hoe include small and adonis blue, wall brown, dingy skipper and some clouded yellow.

	Dragonflies - The ponds at the Hoe have been colonised by several species of dragonflies and damselflies. Britain's largest insect the emperor dragonfly breeds in the ponds. Black tailed skimmers and common darters can be seen hawking over the ponds. Two species of particular note red veined darter and small red eyed damselfly have been seen in recent summers.

	Moths - The most obvious of the moths are the day fliers six spot burnet moths and cream spot tiger moths. On warm summer days silvery and humming bird hawk moth can be seen on the buddleia. Convolvulus hawk moths have been seen during good migrant years attracted to the lights of the office. 240 species of macro moth have been recorded at the Hoe.

	The extreme southerly location of the Hoe and adjacent cliffs means it is a good place for crickets and grasshoppers. Grey, dark and great green bush crickets can be found along with long and short winged cone heads. In the summer there is an abundance of common green and field grasshoppers.

	Devils coach horse, the largest rove beetle in Britain can be seen crossing the paths. Rose chafers are attracted to the flowers of bramble and bloody nosed beetles plodding through the grassland.


© 2008 Eurotunnel and White Cliffs Countryside Project (WCCP)