Larch Ladybird

Plenty of day feeding moths on Ragwort at Drysiog today

                                                                                              Anthophila fabricana

                                                                                                Dingy Footman

                                                                                               Ypsolopha parentsethella

Also seen were Bryotropha terrella and Cydia ulicetana. The Longhorn Beetle Stictoleptura rubra (male) and Larch Ladybird. As well as 16 species of previously recorded hoverflies.

Bibionidae flies

 The family "Bibionidae" or St Mark's Flies as they are commonly known contains 18 species - Bibio (14) and Dilophus (4). 14 species have been recorded in Wales of which 8 are in Glamorgan according to the NBN Gateway. The species below is Bibio pomonae who's English name is - The Heather Fly and seems to be quite common in the upper valley, where Heather grows although this one was feeding on Hogweed. I also recorded them feeding on Ragwort and the Butterfly Bush. The males have large eyes like this one, while the females eyes are very small, making them look like a different species. Bibio have spurs on the tibia where it joins the tarsi, while Dilophus does not. The leg pattern on this species is diagnostic for the males.

Dexiosoma caninum @ Cwm Drysiog

Not a rare fly by any means. But it has not been recorded with regularity in Glamorgan - so worth a post, it is a member of the Tachinid family. Interesting fact about this species is that the adult female lays its eggs on the beetle Common Cockchafer or Maybug as it is better known.

Sericomyia silentis & Eristalis tenax

                                                                               Diagnostic abdomen pattern of Sericomyia silentis

Thick hind femur and tibia and hair line on the eye diagnostic of Eristalis tenax within the family group

Melangyna umbellatarum - another new hoverfly for Caerau

Very similar to the Melangyna compositarum/labiatarum, but the paler colour to the tergites [almost white] and the shiny black thorax are good indicators that this is umbellatarum.  The diagnostic features though are the small black spot at the base of the scutellum and the amount of dusting on the frons which seperates it from similar species.

Colourful hoverflies at Blaencaerau Farm

                                                                                               Chrysotoxum bicintum

                                                                                              Xanthogramma pedissequum

                                                                                            Scaeva selenitica

New Hoverflies

                                                                                               Parasyrphus lineola

                                                                                            Cheilosia impressa

Between the rains

                                                                                               Common Carder Bee

                                                                                               Common Carder Bee face shot

                                                                                               Digitvalva pulicariae

                                                                                              Gatekeeper

                                                                                              Field Grasshopper

                                                                                             Harlequin Ladybird - dark form

2 Conopid species in a day

   Physocephala rufipes

                                                                                           

    Sicus ferrugineous

Day moths

                                                                   Five-spot Burnet

             Six-spot Burnet - with the extra spot near the end of wing compared to Five-spot Burnet

Rare hoverfly @ Cwm Drysiog

Photographed this rare hoverfly at Cwm Drysiog, Maesteg on 7th August 2015 - "Eupeodes lapponicus". It took a while for experts to get back to me with confirmation. From the NBN Gateway map you can see that there has been only a few records in Britain. Although not fully up to date, it does show how rare this species is in Britain. There is a good chance that it is a Glamorgan first. The diagnostic feature is the strong dip in the R4+5 vein on the wing

Insects from today around Caerau

                                                                Hoverfly - Dasysyrphus trinctus

                                                                Hoverfly - Eupeodes luniger

                                                                 Longhorn Beetle - Stictoleptura rubra

                                                                 Butterfly - Red Admiral

                                                               Conopid Fly - Sicus ferrigineous