Mains Wood

Also within

Herefordshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
SO644386	—	Favourable	8.75	2018-04-05

Habitats

Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Sandstone

Description

Area, 8.49 ha. 21 ac. Description A remnant of ancient primary woodland lying on the north eastern edge of the Woolhope Hills. It is part of the larger Mains Wood complex and is the only remaining piece unaffected by modem forestry. The woodland lies on neutral to acidic soils overlying the Old Red Sandstone. It is mainly dominated by sessile oak Quercus petraea, but includes other species such as ash Fraxinus excelsior, birch Betula pendula, yew Taxus baccata, rowan Sorbus aucuparia and guelder rose Viburnum opulus. Sweet chestnut Castanea sativa is also present and managed as coppice. The ground flora includes a number of species which are locally rare or uncommon in this part of the West Midlands, including violet helleborine Epipactis purpurata, broad helleborine Epipactis helleborine and birds nest orchid Neottia nidus-avis. In the more acidic parts of the woodland, ling Calluna vulgaris and bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus occur. The woodland is noted for the richness of its lower plant groups particularly ferns and fungi. The ferns include hard fern Blechnum spicant and lemon scented fern Thelypteris limbosperma, species more characteristic of upland areas and rare in this part of Herefordshire. Over 120 species of fungi have been recorded from the Wood, including several very uncommon species such as Pseudoboletus parasiticus, Cortinarius sanguineus and Pholiota tuberculosa.

Species mentioned

Show the 16 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status ▾

Insects to look out for

These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.

Grouped by host-plant — open a plant to see its insects. Some insects feed on more than one of these plants, so they appear under each.

Birch Betula 15

Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	any Betula
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	any Betula
Broom moth Ceramica pisi	Vulnerable	any Betula
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	any Betula
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	Betula pendula
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	Betula pendula
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	any Betula
Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria	Vulnerable	Betula pendula
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	any Betula
Kentish glory Endromis versicolora	Near Threatened	Betula pendula
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	any Betula
September thorn Ennomos erosaria	Near Threatened	any Betula
Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa	Near Threatened	any Betula
Double dart Graphiphora augur	Near Threatened	any Betula
White prominent Leucodonta bicoloria	Regionally Extinct	any Betula

Sessile or durmast oak Quercus 15

Oak lutestring Cymatophorina diluta	Endangered	Quercus petraea
Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	any Quercus
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	any Quercus
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	any Quercus
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	any Quercus
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	any Quercus
Early moth Theria primaria	Vulnerable	any Quercus
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	any Quercus
Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria	Vulnerable	Quercus petraea
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	any Quercus
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	any Quercus
September thorn Ennomos erosaria	Near Threatened	any Quercus
Double dart Graphiphora augur	Near Threatened	any Quercus
Clay fan-foot Paracolax tristalis	Near Threatened	any Quercus
Frosted green Polyploca ridens	Near Threatened	Quercus petraea

Bell heather or ling Calluna vulgaris 10

Shoulder-striped clover Heliothis maritima	Endangered	Calluna vulgaris
Broom moth Ceramica pisi	Vulnerable	Calluna vulgaris
Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata	Vulnerable	Calluna vulgaris
True lover's knot Lycophotia porphyrea	Vulnerable	Calluna vulgaris
Silver studded blue Plebejus argus	Vulnerable	Calluna vulgaris
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	Calluna vulgaris
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	Calluna vulgaris
Grey scalloped Dyscia fagaria	Near Threatened	Calluna vulgaris
Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa	Near Threatened	Calluna vulgaris
Weaver's wave Idaea contiguaria	Near Threatened	Calluna vulgaris

Billberry Vaccinium myrtillus 10

Speckled footman Coscinia cribraria	Critically Endangered	Vaccinium myrtillus
Broom moth Ceramica pisi	Vulnerable	Vaccinium myrtillus
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	Vaccinium myrtillus
Early moth Theria primaria	Vulnerable	Vaccinium myrtillus
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	Vaccinium myrtillus
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	Vaccinium myrtillus
Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis	Near Threatened	Vaccinium myrtillus
Rosy marsh moth Coenophila subrosea	Near Threatened	Vaccinium myrtillus
The Silurian Eriopygodes imbecilla	Near Threatened	Vaccinium myrtillus
Scotch burnet Zygaena exulans	Near Threatened	Vaccinium myrtillus

Ash Fraxinus excelsior 3

The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	Fraxinus excelsior
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	Fraxinus excelsior
Dusky thorn Ennomos fuscantaria	Near Threatened	Fraxinus excelsior

Rowan Sorbus aucuparia 2

Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	Sorbus aucuparia
Garden tiger Arctia caja	Near Threatened	Sorbus aucuparia

Sweet chestnut Castanea sativa 1

Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria

Vulnerable

Castanea sativa

Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.