Garnwen

Recorded a healthy 33 species of hoverfly even though it was 26c, highlights being Chrysotoxum arcuatum (3), 4 Eupeodes species including latifasciatus (3) and lapponicus (1), Melangyna compositarum/labiatarum agg (1)., Sphaerophoria philanthus (1 male) and Eristalis rupium (1).

Other insects included 10 species of Butterfly headed by Painted Lady and my first 2nd generation Dingy Skipper, all my other records are between 16 May and 22nd June. Other goodies included a Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Golden-ringed Dragonfly, longhorn beetle Stictoleptura rubra (male), Tachinid flies Norwickia ferox and Tachina grossa. Birds were notable by their absence.

 Dingy Skipper - first 2nd generation record for me if not the valley.

 Eristalis rupium - with its yellow first meta-tarsus

 Eupeodes latifasciatus (male)

 Hummingbird Hawk-moth - poor shot, wouldn't keep still

 Norwickia ferox -interestingly this species lays its eggs in the Dark Arches moth and the larva eats it alive from within. The fly itself is quite rare and the valley seems to be a stronghold for the species.

Stictoleptura rubra (male) - another rare insect [longhorn beetle] with a stronghold in the valley. The larva feed in rotting wood, especially stacks of felled timber that are present in the forestry. They share this habitat with another longhorn beetle Rhagium bifasciatum, but they have different flight periods, with bifasciatum flying much earlier in the year and their flight period is well over when the rubra emerge. Although the larva can share the same log stack.