Hay-cutting Blackwater Reach (on the river side of Sandhurst Memorial Park), Melvyn found an unusual pretty beetle that none of us had seen before. It was large with a body 30mm long and iridescent dark green / purplish body. Back at the office we dug out the ID books and found the very long antennae classifies it as a type of Longhorn Beetle. In this case, it’s the adult Musk Beetle which is found between May and September, with the larvae feeding for three years on living willow. It is widespread across England, but is scarce so a real treat to spot.
Musk Beetle (Aromia moschata)
Ranger Stuart
About blackwatervalleycountryside
The Blackwater Valley is located on the borders of Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire and runs for approximately 30km from the source near Aldershot, northwards to Swallowfield. At its confluence it joins the rivers Whitewater and Loddon. The Loddon eventually flows into the River Thames near Reading.
Work in the Blackwater Valley is co-ordinated by the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership on behalf of the local authorities that border the Valley.
Despite being surrounded by urban development the Valley provides an important green corridor for local residents As well as the Blackwater Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a small part of the Basingstoke Canal SSSI, three nature reserves within the Valley catchment and many other areas have been recognised for their ecological importance. The local planning authorities covering the Valley have designated 31 other areas as ‘Wildlife Sites’.
BlackwaterValleyCountryside 