Great Wilbraham Common
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL533576 | — | Favourable | 23.51 | 2012-10-23 |
Description
Description great Wilbraham Common supports neutral grassland communities of the calcareous loam grassland type. This is a type that is now rare in Britain. Only fragments are known to persist, chiefly as small areas of common land. This site is one of the largest remaining species rich grasslands in Cambridgeshire. The sward is characterised by the presence of such grasses as white bent Agrostis stolonifera and red fescue Festuca rubra. Other characteristic species include quaking grass Briza media, glaucous sedge Carex flacca, lady’s bedstraw Galium verum and salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba. A number of locally uncommon species are also present. They include purple milk vetch Astragalus danicus, felwort Gentianella amarella, meadow saxifrage Saxifraga granulataa, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and sulphur clover Trifolium ochroleucon.
Species mentioned
Show the 10 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| creeping bent | Agrostis stolonifera | LC | grass | poaceae |
| quaking grass | Briza media | VU | grass | poaceae |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| green-winged orchid | Anacamptis morio | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| purple milk vetch | Astragalus danicus | EN | herb | fabaceae |
| lady's bedstraw | Galium verum | LC | herb | rubiaceae |
| autumn gentian | Gentianella amarella | LC | herb | gentianaceae |
| salad burnet | Poterium sanguisorba | VU | herb | rosaceae |
| sulphur clover | Trifolium ochroleucon | EN | herb | fabaceae |
| glaucus sedge | Carex flacca | LC | sedge | cyperaceae |
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.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Least minor Photedes captiuncula |
Endangered | Carex flacca |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Poterium sanguisorba |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Galium spp. |
| Garden dart Euxoa nigricans |
Vulnerable | Trifolium spp. |
| White-line dart Euxoa tritici |
Vulnerable | Galium verum |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca rubra |
| Bedstraw hawk-moth Hyles gallii |
Vulnerable | Galium spp. |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Poterium sanguisorba |
| Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis |
Near Threatened | Trifolium spp. |
| Latticed heath Chiasmia clathrata |
Near Threatened | Trifolium spp. |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Agrostis spp., Festuca spp. |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Galium spp. |
| Wall Lasiommata megera |
Near Threatened | Agrostis spp. |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Carex flacca |
| The blackneck Lygephila pastinum |
Near Threatened | Astragalus spp. |
| Dark-barred twin-spot carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata |
Near Threatened | Galium spp. |
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.