Blaencaerau

Started off fine but went overcast and windy between 1100-1300hrs and then became fine again. 41 species of hoverfly seen, which equals my highest day tally, but with lots of commoner stuff not seen so 50 in a day will be possible at perhaps Garnwen or Lletty Brongu area. No longhorns today, first time for 2 months. Ringlets still in good numbers, no sign of Graylings yet and a complete lack of Dragonflies was a bit worrying.

 Chrysotoxum festivum - 1st of the year for me of this spectacular hoverfly.

 Chrysotoxum arcuatum - 2nd generation [brood] of the year.

 Eristalis tenax - finally out in good numbers, supposedly UK's commonest hoverfly.

 Cheilosia impressa

 Cheilosia pagana - ID niggling at me for this one, although orange antennae are large, the bronzy ground colour should be jet black, so possibly something else, I'll send to HRS for confirmation. [Confirmed as pagana by HRS].

 Common Earwig - this was massive, 1 for irecord.

  Ringlet - still hanging on in good numbers, but mainly worn specimens.

Waun-y-Gilfach, Llangynwyd

A somewhat brighter day today, reflected in the increase of hoverfly species which totalled 31 species. An even brighter day forecast for tomorrow. Plenty of other insects including new for the valley Rhagio lineola [Small Fleck-winged Snipefly].

 Dasysyrphus albostriatus

 Platycheirus rosarum

 Rhingia campestris

 Sericomyia silentis

 Syrphus vitripennis - checked in hand under magnification

 Rhagio lineola [Small Fleck-winged Snipefly] - new for valley

Tree Wasp - facial pattern diagnostic

Point to Point, Gilfach, Llangynwyd

Although weather was still pretty poor with intermittent showers , I walked around the lanes on Top Llangynwyd. Hogweed was out in mass and attracted 23 species of hoverfly despite the weather, as well as a few other types of insect.

 Chrysotoxum bicinctum

 Meliscaeva auricollis

 Meliscaeva cinctella

 Platycheirus granditarsis

 Buff Footman

 Red-barred Tortrix

 Small White

Stictoleptura rubra

Cwmfelin Park

A walk around the park in less than perfect weather produced very little in highlights, with 24 hoverfly species recorded. Some photos below.

 Chrysogaster solstitialis

 Eupeodes corollae

Syrphus ribesii

Lletty lanes

33 species of hoverfly around today, with lots of Hogweed in bloom. Emergence of Eristalis pertinax [25+], Chrysogaster solstitialis [25+] and Syritta pipiens [60+]. Highlights being Melangyna umbellatarum, Cheilosia pagana, Orthonevra nobilis and Eristalis rupium.

 Cheilosia pagana

 Eristalis arbustorum

 Eristalis rupium

 Melangyna umbellatarum

Orthonevra nobilis.

Other insects included first Gatekeeper of the year, longhorn Stictoleptura rubra, male Keeled Skimmer and Plant Bug - Deraeocoris ruber [new for valley].

 Plant Bug - Deraeocoris ruber

 Longhorn - Stictoleptura rubra

 Notch-horned Cleg

Memories of my Kazakhstan trip of 2015, with Lletty Yurts seemingly doing a good business.

Blaencaerau

Bad day when my camera battery run out after 25 shots and my back-up battery was also flat, as I haven't used it for a few months. But I still managed a few firsts for the Caerau area

 Leucozona laternaria - 1st for Caerau

 Stictoleptura rubra - 1st for Caerau

Small Tortoiseshell - low numbers so far in the valley this year, 1st seen for a while at Caerau.

Garnwen late afternoon

A clear spell in the gloom for an hour had me going up Garnwen for a stroll. There were 20 species of hoverfly with highlights being Eristalis rupium and Leucozona lucorum. 2 species of Burying Beetles were seen on the road - Silpha atrata and Nicrophorus vespilloides but no carcass was visible for them. Lots of Meadow Brown now emerging with Ringlet  numbers starting to drop of. Otherwise all the usual suspects about.

 Silpha atrata [Burying Beetle].

 Leucozona lucorum.

Eristalis pertinax - good numbers 20+, bit of an emergence along with 50+ Meliscaeva auricollis.

Cwm Sychbant/Cwm Goblyn

 Scaeva pyrastri -  1st of year for me, many more of this migrant to come.

 Eristalis horticola - territorial as ever

Xylota jakutorum - noticeable spines on the hind femur separate it from Xylota florum at this angle.

Cwmfelin Park - Slow Worm

While walking the back path close to the woods I came across this motionless Slow Worm, to my surprise it's the first one I've ever photographed.

Cwmfelin Park - hoverflies

Had 23 species of hoverfly on the Hogweed and Ragwort including Platycheirus manicatus which is new for the valley [number 104], but they were very skittish for some reason, so could only photograph a few.

 Episyrphus balteatus

 Dasysyrphus albostriatus

 Syritta pipiens

Cheilosia illustrata

Cwmfelin Park - other flies

 Bright Horsefly 1 & 2

 Phasia hemiptera - female

 Phasia hemiptera - male

Kite-tailed Robberfly [Machimus atricapillus] - confirmed on Irecord.