Lletty Brongu woods

The only time you can now properly visit the woods and sewage works is at the weekend, when there is a halt to the building work and you can walk downstream from the bridge by slipping through the temporary barriers. Todays venture produced another 20 species haul for hoverflies, with new for the year in Platycheirus granditarsus (female), Platycheirus tarsalis (male - earliest date), Dasysyrphus venustus (male-sternites checked to eliminate "neovenustus", a new species recently split from venustus, also earliest date), Eupeodes luniger (female), Leucozona lucorum (female), Rhingia rostrata (male) and Criorhina berberina (male variation "oxyacanthae"). Most numerous species was Melanostoma scalare (35), and other highlights were Epistrophe eligans (2) and Neoascia meticulosa (male).

No other special birds or insects, but did have my first Early Bumblebee of the year feeding on Ramsons and 2 variations of Harlequin Ladybird. Amongst the throngs of Micropterix calthella was a single Cauchas rufimitrella (I think ?).

 Cauchas rufimitrella

   Criorhina berberina - variation "oxyacanthae"