Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust counts record number of glow-worms at Ketton Quarry

A well-loved but lesser spotted insect is enjoying a record-breaking year in a local quarry - bucking an overall trend of steep decline.

A count by Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT) earlier this week recorded 86 female glow-worms and eight males at Ketton Quarry.

It set a new record for the amount of females recorded in Rutland at any one site, while a survey at Burley Woods this year also confirmed record counts.

Glow-worm numbers in the UK have significantly decreased in recent decades - by as much as 75 per cent in some areas since 2001 - chiefly due to habitat loss, light pollution and less food.

They are now listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Yet according to Tim Sexton, from LRWT, Rutland remains something of a stronghold with its limestone grasslands and ancient woodland supporting several healthy colonies.

While celebrating the figures, he believes more needs to be done to secure their future, particularly in restoring wildflower-rich grasslands and meadows.

“They were perhaps helped along by the warm and mild start to the spring and early summer,” Tim said.

“However, there is much more work to be done to ensure the glow-worm’s future continues to be positive in Rutland.”

Ketton and Burley are among five key sites in Rutland, with Barrowden Verges, Essendine Verges, and Pickworth Woods completing the list.

LRWT staff, volunteers, and members of the Rutland Natural History Society recorded 465 glow-worms at these sites in June and July 2024.

Warm and wet summer conditions from last summer are also thought to be behind this year’s upturn, helping boost the number of snails and slugs - the chosen meal of the glow worm larvae.

The glow-worm is, in fact, actually a beetle and only females glow - in order to attract a mate.

“The females start to glow in late May, early June with the peak of activity in the first two weeks of July,” Tim explained.

“By mid-August the number of glowing females starts to diminish, although glowing larvae can often be seen into September.”

Demand is strong for a glimpse of this natural light show, with two late-night glow-worm walks organised by the Trust - tonight (Thursday) and next Friday (July 18) - both fully booked.