Nottinghamshire Glow Worms 2026
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I write this introduction at the start of the 2026 Glow Worm season, with all the intention of ending the Nottinghamshire Glow Worm Survey at the end of the year and after almost 15 years. I actually came very close to ending the NGWS back in 2020 after the death of Dilys, but decided to continue with it for a few more years in the end, but this does look like it will be the end.

And while the idea of a county wide Glow Worm survey was initially well received in 2012, Encouraging people to become engaged enough with the survey proved infuriatingly difficult and it is obvious that there's little interest anymore. I recieve very few records and people are clearly more likely to send any records directly to iRecord, rather than make a direct contribution to the NGWS.
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The Glow Worm is without doubt, one of our most fascinating insects. Famous for the ability to produce its own light, the green bioluminescent light emitted by the female Glow Worm has formed the basis of countless fairy tales and folklore over centuries.

Although still regarded by some authorities as being both nationally and locally common, surveys on behalf of the Nottinghamshire Glow Worm Survey, have showed this delightful beetle to be in serious decline across its restricted Nottinghamshire range.

The data collected by a number of recorders over the past 14 years, has helped confirm both a decline and a demise in Nottinghamshire's Glow Worm populations. However, getting people to sit up and take notice has proved to be rather difficult and it doesn't help when those very same authorities continue to denounce any existance of a decline. 

Habitat loss through urbanisation and industrial development, the use of pesticides and herbicides in modern farming practices and the increase in light pollution, are all thought to have contributed to the Glow Worm's decline, but none of these factors are unlikely to have been factors where the Glow Worm has traditionally been found in Nottinghamshire. It's never been a widespread beetle and has always been more or less confined to the Sherwood Forest area, where commercial forestry operations and site management have without doubt contributed towards its decline.

  
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But Nottinghamshire is still fortunate in having (once one of the UK's largest and most famous Glow Worm colonies) at Clipstone Old Quarter, although it too, has suffered a huge drop in Glow Worm numbers. For many years, Clipstone Old Quarter (located within the heart of Sherwood Forest) was synonymous for producing high Glow Worm numbers over a season, and quite often the UK's earliest records of both larvae and females. And as we enter yet another year, there is much to look forward to, despite the recent fall in Glow Worm numbers.
 

Help monitor Glow Worm distribution - contribute your records here  

Members of the public can contribute to the Nottinghamshire Glow Worm Survey and we welcome any Glow Worm records from within VC56 Nottinghamshire. The easiest way to contribute your records, is by clicking on the form on the right and completing the simple form, which takes a few minutes and helps. Contributions will also appear below.

 The form can also be used to send in any old Glow Worm records you may have, as old records are important in helping to determine a more accurate picture of Glow Worm distribution and how it has changed over time. And it is just as useful if we know where Glow Worms are not found, so please remember that negative results from a site are equally as important as positive results and will help our mapping of the Glow Worm's distribution.

Useful Glow Worm links on www.eakringbirds.com

  
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Glow Worm first dates 2008-2026
Refers to female Glow Worms only, not males or larvae
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    2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
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Date of first female   May 27th May 24th May 13th May 30th June 8th May 18th May 23rd June 3rd May 20th May 24th May 31st May 20th June 3rd May 17th May 27th May 21st May 18th Unknown
     
Average monthly minimum Winter temperatures 2008-2026
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    08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 25/26
Nov - Apr   2.80°C 2.08°C 2.35°C 3.28°C 1.55°C 3.33°C 2.93°C 3.59°C 3.46°C 2.68°C 2.97°C 3.50°C 2.55°C 3.61°C 3.63°C 4.35°C 3.46°C 4.06°C
Jan - Apr   2.80°C 1.62°C 3.67°C 2.75°C 1.05°C 3.62°C 2.45°C 2.35°C 3.50°C 2.47°C 3.41°C 3.82°C 1.92°C 3.40°C 3.55°C 4.27°C 2.92°C 3.72°C
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Date of first female   May 27th May 24th May 13th May 30th June 8th May 18th May 23rd June 3rd May 20th May 24th May 31st May 20th June 3rd May 17th May 27th May 21st May 18th Unknown
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Average monthly maximum Winter temperatures 2008-2026
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    08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 25/26
Nov - Apr   8.68°C 8.04°C 8.71°C 9.79°C 7.33°C 10.29°C 9.50°C 10.26°C 9.60°C 8.51°C 10.51°C 10.31°C 8.91°C 10.41°C 9.76°C 10.21°C 10.18°C 10.28°C
Jan - Apr   9.27°C 7.67°C 10.70°C 9.75°C 6.95°C 10.89°C 9.60°C 9.30°C 10.12°C 8.57°C 10.85°C 11.30°C 8.80°C 10.90°C 10.25°C 10.62°C 10.55°C 10.45°C
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Date of first female   May 27th May 24th May 13th May 30th June 8th May 18th May 23rd June 3rd May 20th May 24th May 31st May 20th June 3rd May 17th May 27th May 21st May 18th Unknown
 
Nottinghamshire Glow Worm Survey records 2026

I have decided to run the Nottinghamshire Glow Worm Survey for another year, but this is likely to be the last year that I do. It is clear that very few are interested in going out surveying for Glow Worms and those that actually do, prefer to send records in to iRecord, rather than copying their records to this survey. As there is minimal interest in contributing records to the Nottinghamshire Glow Worm Survey, I see little point in continually giving time over to it.
 
Surveyed   Site name   Grid ref   Site type/habitat   Qty   Notes   Recorder
February 27th   Clipstone Old Quarter   SK608674   Former Pine plantation and grass/scrub strip   0   No larvae recorded   TP.
March 4th   Clipstone Old Quarter   SK608674   Former Pine plantation and grass/scrub strip   0   No larvae recorded   TP.
March 9th   Clipstone Old Quarter   SK608674   Former Pine plantation and grass/scrub strip   0   No larvae recorded   TP.
March 7th   Birklands Panhandle   SK613674   Former Pine plantation/mixed woodland   1   Single larva on fallen, dead veteran log   HL. (per AC)
March 13th   Clipstone Old Quarter   SK608674   Former Pine plantation and grass/scrub strip   1   Single larva found under loose bark of felled Chestnut   TP.
April 2nd   Clipstone Old Quarter   SK608674   Former Pine plantation and grass/scrub strip   0   No larvae recorded   TP.
April 19th   Clipstone Old Quarter   SK608674   Former Pine plantation and grass/scrub strip   1   Single 10mm larva found underneath old cut section of Sallow    TP.
April 23rd   Clipstone Old Quarter   SK608674   Former Pine plantation and grass/scrub strip   1   Single 25mm larva found leaving prey item (snail) in Section A   TP.
May 19th   Clipstone Old Quarter   SK608674   Former Pine plantation and grass/scrub strip   0   No females recorded. Survey sections O,L,M,K,J,D,C,B and A were walked.   TP.
May 21st   Clipstone Old Quarter   SK608674   Former Pine plantation and grass/scrub strip   1   The first female Glow Worm of the year, was found trackside  at the top of section J near the Centre Tree. Survey sections O,L,M,K,J,D,C,B and A were walked.   TP.
June 1st   Sherwood Heath   SK647675   Grass and heather heathland and roadside verge   0   No Glow Worms recorded   GT.
June 5th   Sherwood Heath   SK647675   Grass and heather heathland and roadside verge   1   One female recorded   GT.
June 9th   Clipstone Old Quarter   SK608674   Former Pine plantation and grass/scrub strip   2   Just two female in the upper part of Section J, this evening. Only survey sections O,L,M,K,J and D were walked, becuse of the cool conditions.   TP.
June 10th   Southwell Trail   SK643585   Disused mineral railway line   0   No females recorded. Glow Worms have never been recorded from the whole length of the Southwell Trail.   GT.
June 12th   Sherwood Heath   SK647675   Grass and heather heathland and roadside verge   12   12 females recorded   GT.
June 18th   Sherwood Heath   SK647675   Grass and heather heathland and roadside verge   2   Two females recorded   JB.
June 18th   Budby (Swinecote Road)   SK627688   Grass verge, with small area of heathland   0   No females recorded. Small numbers of Glow Worms occasionally reported from this location over a number of years (not annually) since 2012, but none have been recorded here since 2024.   JB.
June 18th   Plumtree (Flawforth Lane)   SK603336   Grassland/field, adjacent to used or dismantled railway line   0   No females recorded, or males attracted to artificial lures, from this grid reference, including a 3km radius of the wider accessible pathways. A single Glow Worm was recorded from this location on 12/08/25, but Glow Worms not known from this area historically.   MD.
June 20th   Besthorpe NR (access track)   SK818642   Access track with established grass verges, adjacent to areas of longstanding meadowland   0   No females recorded along the access track to the car park area. Glow Worms not known from this location.   TP.
June 20th   Clipstone Old Quarter   SK608674   Former Pine plantation and grass/scrub strip   10   Ten females recorded, with one female found with a male. Five other males were recorded to artificial lure at various points around the site.   MD. IA. MR.
June 22nd   Sherwood Heath   SK647675   Grass and heather heathland and roadside verge   0   No females recorded.   JB.
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Contributors to the Nottinghamshire Glow Worm Survey 2026

Grateful thanks to the following people, who have contributed records on various platforms (both positive and negative) during 2026.

Iain Au-Yong. Jonathan Bell. Amy Chandler. Martin Dale. Helen Leaf. Trevor Pendleton. Mark Rolfe. Graeme Turner. NBGRC. iRecord.
 
The Nottinghamshire Glow Worm Survey
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