Blaencaerau "C.O.P."

Hot day at 25c with very little wind, hoverflies were hard to come by away from the Hogweed and Angelica. I've been spoilt the last couple of days, but today only managed 33 species with very little of interest besides 2 Eristais rupium.

So my mind wandered to other species and I had a good cross-section of families (see photos below)

 Antler Moth - unusualy feeding by day on creeping Thistle

 lots of young Common Frogs around the rain puddles

 Common Shrew - 2 dead together is a first, could be motorcycle casualties [run over that is and not crash victims 😁]

 Nicrophorus vespilloides - a burying beetle next to the shrew, it to looks like it has been run over by something

 I think this is a Ruby Tiger caterpillar - [Sid can you confirm]

 longhorn beetle Stictoleptura rubra - 3 seen today

OK, one hoverfly photo - Leucozona laternaria, 17 seen today compared to 14 Leucozona glaucia

Fairy Flax - a common UK plant of dry grasslands. How I've never seen it before I don't know, there were literally thousand's in bloom today. It is very small and I was on my knees when I spotted it though.