I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed Freshwater Bay. Unfortunately Low Tides at 6 am and 6 pm meant that rockpooling was out of the question (it was really cold, too!), but I’ve always been happy to just sit and take in the view!
On Tuesday afternoon I visited Ventnor Botanical Garden. It was good to catch up with a few special millipedes:
Cylindroiulus appeninorum, a Millipede that was discovered new to the UK at this location in 2015.
Haplopodoiulus
spathifer, the ‘Kew Spine-tailed Millipede’, so-called because it was first found
at Kew Gardens in 1976, though the species wasn’t in fact identified until
1986! It hails originally from the Pyrenees region of France and Spain. It hasn’t
been recorded from many places in the UK but it is very common in certain parts
of the garden with good numbers being found under upturned stones.
Platnickina tincta – a little beauty! This species was found on Fern fronds. It’s quite widespread and has been reported stealing food from the webs of other spiders, and even consuming the residents! This is Alan Outen’s photo of my specimen.
Sunset over Compton Bay
It is many years since I went to the Isle of Wight and I don't recall seeing any pretty scenery and I certainly did not know that there is a Botanic garden! I shall have to remedy that,
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