A pleasing find

It has been some time since we began our research, and now the sandpit is yielding another of its treasures. On June 25, we managed to catch a live adult female of the marsh cricket (Pteronemobius heydenii). This is a very rare species tied to exposed shores of clean waters with sandy to clayey substrates. In the Czech Republic, we are at the northern edge of its distribution, so its rare occurrence is not surprising, especially given the lack of suitable habitats. It is a thermophilic (heat-loving) creature, so it is no surprise that most of its known sites are located in South Moravia. Although it has recently been spreading due to climate change, the Cep sandpit remains one of the few sites in Bohemia (the western half of the Czech republic). It was only discovered here a few years ago, and even today it remains a rare (and pleasing) find.