Moulsford Downs is a biological

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

north-west of

Goring-on-Thames Goring-on-Thames (or Goring) is a village and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England. Situated on the county border with Berkshire, it is south of Wallingford and north-west of Reading. It had a population of 3,187 in ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

. This chalk grassland site on the

Berkshire Downs The Berkshire Downs are a range of chalk downland hills in southern England, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Berkshire Downs are wholly within the traditional county of Berkshire, although split between ...

has a rich wildlife. The diverse invertebrate fauna includes the uncommon robber-fly ''

Leptarthrus brevirostris ''Leptarthrus brevirostris '' is a Palearctic species of robber fly in the family Asilidae The Asilidae are the robber fly family, also called assassin flies. They are powerfully built, bristly flies with a short, stout proboscis enclosing the ...

'', the

adonis blue The Adonis blue (''Lysandra bellargus'', also known as ''Polyommatus bellargus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It inhabits the Palearctic realm (Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Southern Russia, Iraq, Iran, Caucasus, ...

butterfly, the

juniper shield bug The juniper shield bug (''Cyphostethus tristriatus''), (family: Acanthosomatidae), is a large (9–10.5 mm) green shield bug with distinctive pinkish-red markings on the corium. The bug's traditional foodplant is juniper, with the larvae f ...

, the weevils ''

Baris picicornis Baris or Barış may refer to: People * Barış, a Turkish given name meaning "Peace" * Baris Ekincier (born 1999), footballer * Damián Bariš (born 1994), Slovak footballer * Deniz Barış (born 1977), Turkish footballer * Ozan Baris (born 200 ...

'' and seed beetle ''

Phyllobius viridicollis ''Phyllobius'' is a genus of weevils containing at least 60 described species, some of which are commonly found in Europe. European species * '' Phyllobius achardi'' Desbrochers, 1873 * '' Phyllobius aetolicus'' Apfelbeck, 1901 ** '' Phyll ...

'', the leaf beetle ''

Phyllotreta nodicornis ''Phyllotreta'' is a genus of flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. There are at least 300 described species worldwide. Agricultural pests Many species have been recorded as pests of millets and sorghum ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly ...

'' and the '' Bruchus cisti''. The site is private land with no public access.

References

{{SSSIs Oxfordshire Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Oxfordshire