Surprisingly other insects were hard to find but included the longhorn beetle Stictoleptura rubra and sawfly Abia fasciata. Top Butterfly was Meadow Brown (20) of only 6 species although a brief large fritillary went unidentified.
Saturday 27 July 2019
Lletty comes alive
With the mass emergence of blooming Hogweed and the temperatures dropping to 20c a huge number of hoverflies were recorded along the lanes of Lletty Brongu in fact 1000+ were seen of 32 species. New for the year were Melangyna umbellatarum, Cheilosia scutellata and Lejogaster metallina. Highest numbers included. Syrphus species (210 including 60 ribesii), Cheilosia species (100 of 5 species), Chrysogaster (60), Eristalis pertinax (200) and Syritta pipiens (200). Other good sightings included Dasysyrphus albostriatus (3), Epistrophe grossulariae (1), Leucozona Glaucia (3), Scaeva pyrastri (3), Orthonevra nobilis (3) and Pipiza austriaca (1).
Surprisingly other insects were hard to find but included the longhorn beetle Stictoleptura rubra and sawfly Abia fasciata. Top Butterfly was Meadow Brown (20) of only 6 species although a brief large fritillary went unidentified.
Melangyna umbellatarum
Leucozona glaucia
Epistrophe grossulariae
Abia fasciata - one of the Club-horned Sawfly group.
Surprisingly other insects were hard to find but included the longhorn beetle Stictoleptura rubra and sawfly Abia fasciata. Top Butterfly was Meadow Brown (20) of only 6 species although a brief large fritillary went unidentified.
Sunday 21 July 2019
Blaencaerau C.O.P.
The C.O.P. was also greatly improved after the rain with 27 species of Hoverfly recorded. Highest numbers being Platycheirus albimanus (30) and Cheilosia illustrata (30), Anasymia contracta was hoverfly species number 94 for the year. Highlights included Leucozona laternaria (6), Scaeva pyrastri (5), Orthonevra nobilis (1), Parhelophilus versicolor (3) and Sericomyia silentis (1).
9 species of butterfly recorded with Gatekeeper now becoming the de-fault species, with Meadow Brown and Ringlet starting to drop off in numbers. All the usual suspects were joined by the longhorn beetle Leptura quadrifasciata, which was the first of the year.
Parhelophilus (versicolor)
Melangyna (compositarum/labiatarum agg.) - most likely labiatarum which is the western species.
Leptura quadrifasciata
9 species of butterfly recorded with Gatekeeper now becoming the de-fault species, with Meadow Brown and Ringlet starting to drop off in numbers. All the usual suspects were joined by the longhorn beetle Leptura quadrifasciata, which was the first of the year.
What a difference a day makes
After virtually 2 days rain, my crude rain gatherer says 3", all the blooming Hogweed started producing nectar and pollen. Subsequently hoverfly numbers have tripled and lots of other species are starting to appear also. In the afternoon I recorded 25 species of hoverfly at Top Llan, with the commoner species out in good numbers like Platycheirus albimanus (100), Melanostoma scalare (75) and Episyrphus balteatus (25). Highlights were Dasysyrphus albostriatus (3), Leucozona laternaria (7) and Volucella bombylans (1).
Day flying moths were also feeding on Hogweed with the rather attractive Argolamprotes micella new for me, also present were 20+ Pammene aurana and what I think is a Plum Tortrix (Sid will confirm/reidentify for me), butterflies and bees have taken a hit with the rain and numbers were low compared to of late. I managed to photograph the Common Awl Robberfly (Neoitamus cyanurus) which was new for me if not the valley.
2 family parties of Spotted Flycatcher were present in the spruce/beech plantation and the Caerau swifts have had a good year producing 32 juvs from 11 pairs, but the pair in my street are still trying to coax out the juvs from the nest. I found 3 nests of active House Martins in the Caerau Road area, which is the highest for a while.
Dasysyrphus albostriatus
Common Awl Robberfly (Neoitamus cyanurus)
Plum Tortrix ? (Sid - what you think)
Day flying moths were also feeding on Hogweed with the rather attractive Argolamprotes micella new for me, also present were 20+ Pammene aurana and what I think is a Plum Tortrix (Sid will confirm/reidentify for me), butterflies and bees have taken a hit with the rain and numbers were low compared to of late. I managed to photograph the Common Awl Robberfly (Neoitamus cyanurus) which was new for me if not the valley.
2 family parties of Spotted Flycatcher were present in the spruce/beech plantation and the Caerau swifts have had a good year producing 32 juvs from 11 pairs, but the pair in my street are still trying to coax out the juvs from the nest. I found 3 nests of active House Martins in the Caerau Road area, which is the highest for a while.
Saturday 20 July 2019
Eristalis abusiva new for valley
With a lack of Eristalis due to the warm weather delaying the main emergence, it is easier to find oddities amongst the low numbers. I've been chasing this species for a few years, they are very nervous and thus hard to photograph, they have a tendency to feed at Upright Hedge Parsley more than other Eristalis. So I located one finally on the road from the cemetery to Cwrtymynys Farm where the green metal fencing and gate area about 30 mts from the car park.
The diagnostic feature which separates abusiva from arbustorum is the mid tibia is all yellow, while in arbustorum the bottom quarter is black. Other features that are helpful but not diagnostic is a thin face stripe (which it had, but not photographed), almost hairless arista on the antennae (which it had) and overall more hairy, which this one looks but that is subjective. ID was later confirmed by R. Morris of the Hoverfly Recording Scheme.
Above is Eristalis abusiva with all yellow mid tibia and below is a typical Eristalis arbustorum , notice the lower darkened mid-tibia.
This is the 9th species of Eristalis recorded in the valley, the only other species not seen is Eristalis cryptarum that breeds in a few valleys in Devon. Formerly common in Glamorgan particularly the coast, has been recorded in 10 - 10km squares as recently as 2012 in the Oxwich area.
The diagnostic feature which separates abusiva from arbustorum is the mid tibia is all yellow, while in arbustorum the bottom quarter is black. Other features that are helpful but not diagnostic is a thin face stripe (which it had, but not photographed), almost hairless arista on the antennae (which it had) and overall more hairy, which this one looks but that is subjective. ID was later confirmed by R. Morris of the Hoverfly Recording Scheme.
This is the 9th species of Eristalis recorded in the valley, the only other species not seen is Eristalis cryptarum that breeds in a few valleys in Devon. Formerly common in Glamorgan particularly the coast, has been recorded in 10 - 10km squares as recently as 2012 in the Oxwich area.
Friday 19 July 2019
some insect photos from last week
some butterfly photos from the last week
Some hoverfly photos from the past week
Thursday 18 July 2019
Xanthogramma stackelbergi
Although Paul Tabor has recorded this species twice in the valley before, this is my first Xanthogramma stackelbergi, which was only added to the British list as recently as 2012. It has a number of identification differences from the very similar Xanthogramma pedissequum. Of the 6 Glamorgan records 3 have been in the valley.
"This species closely resembles X. pedissequum and was added to the British list in 2012 by Alan Stubbs . Females have the black stripe on the frons very narrow and often petering out where it meets the lunule. The yellow spots on tergite 2 are squarer than in pedissequum and those on tergites 3 and 4 more oblique. The sides of the thorax below the level of the wingbases seem to always have four/five yellow spots, with two always located near the halteres (often missing in pedissequum). This is one of the best field characters Further differences exist in the wings and underside of the abdomen. The dark costal patch of stackelbergi does not usually extend below vein R3+4 in contrast to typical pedissequum. Viewed from the underside, both sexes have the narrow membranous area between the sternites and tergites mainly yellow except for a dark patch coinciding with the posterior transverse stripe of sternite 2, and this creates a dark band that is less than half of the length of this sternite i.e. much less extensively darkened than pedissequum. X. stackelbergi seems to be widespread but localised in southern Britain and to show a stronger attachment to woodland edges, rides and clearings than pedissequum."
Above quotes taken from Steven Falk's flickr page :-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/sets/72157632548622900/
Below are some photos of typical Xanthogramma pedissequum.
"This species closely resembles X. pedissequum and was added to the British list in 2012 by Alan Stubbs . Females have the black stripe on the frons very narrow and often petering out where it meets the lunule. The yellow spots on tergite 2 are squarer than in pedissequum and those on tergites 3 and 4 more oblique. The sides of the thorax below the level of the wingbases seem to always have four/five yellow spots, with two always located near the halteres (often missing in pedissequum). This is one of the best field characters Further differences exist in the wings and underside of the abdomen. The dark costal patch of stackelbergi does not usually extend below vein R3+4 in contrast to typical pedissequum. Viewed from the underside, both sexes have the narrow membranous area between the sternites and tergites mainly yellow except for a dark patch coinciding with the posterior transverse stripe of sternite 2, and this creates a dark band that is less than half of the length of this sternite i.e. much less extensively darkened than pedissequum. X. stackelbergi seems to be widespread but localised in southern Britain and to show a stronger attachment to woodland edges, rides and clearings than pedissequum."
Above quotes taken from Steven Falk's flickr page :-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/sets/72157632548622900/
Below are some photos of typical Xanthogramma pedissequum.
Sunday 14 July 2019
Mynydd Caerau, Maesteg
Tried somewhere different for a change as hoverflies in the valley are hard to come by in this weather. I walked the tracks around the conifer forestry, when I got above 300 mts hoverflies started to appear in large numbers with good counts of Platycheirus albimanus (90), Episyrphus balteatus (70), Meliscaeva auricollis (85) and Syrphus species (130). I noted 23 species in total, with new for the year Leucozona glaucia (2), good records included Chrysotoxum arcuatum (3), Leucozona lucorum (1 late record), Sericomyia silentis (11) and Volucella bombylans (2).
Other insects of note were Bilberry Bumblebee, 5-spot Burnet (6) and Speckled Longhorn beetle (P. cerambyciformis). 11 species of butterfly were seen including Ringlet (130), Dark Green Fritillary (2) and the first Gatekeeper of the year.
Birds included Lesser Redpoll (3 pair), Stonechat (2 pair) and Whinchat (1 pair).
Chrysotoxum arcuatum
Sericomyia silentis
Dark Green Fritillary - cropped photo from 20 yds.
Other insects of note were Bilberry Bumblebee, 5-spot Burnet (6) and Speckled Longhorn beetle (P. cerambyciformis). 11 species of butterfly were seen including Ringlet (130), Dark Green Fritillary (2) and the first Gatekeeper of the year.
Birds included Lesser Redpoll (3 pair), Stonechat (2 pair) and Whinchat (1 pair).
Sunday 7 July 2019
Lletty Brongu woods
After 4 hrs cutting the rainforest that was my garden, I took a stroll down the sewage works. Sadly the woods are starting to lose their magic with the Hemlock Water Droplet being overrun by Himalayan Balsam to the point of no return. I still managed to record 20 species of hoverfly, thanks mainly to the bramble. Leucozona laternaria (1) was hoverfly 88 for the year. Largest number was Neoascia podagrica (30) and good records include the common 5 Eristalis (arbustorum, horticola, nemorum, pertinax and tenax) together for the first time this year and 2 Volucella pellucens which seems to be having a good year so far. We really need a few days rain for numbers to increase dramatically as the flowers seem to have stopped producing pollen from lack of water.
Seven species of butterfly were headed by Ringlet (10), Painted Lady (1) and Red Admiral (1) and there wasn't much else about besides the Cleggs in the heat of the day.
Leucozona laternaria - 1st of the year
Hawthorn Shieldbug
Seven species of butterfly were headed by Ringlet (10), Painted Lady (1) and Red Admiral (1) and there wasn't much else about besides the Cleggs in the heat of the day.
Saturday 6 July 2019
weekly roundup
Another round up of places visited and species seen this week after work. I had short walks around Garnwen, Mynydd Bach (s) and Blaencaerau. Recorded 34 species, with new for the year in Volucella zonaria (2), Epistrophe grossulariae (1) and Chrysotoxum festivum (1). Highest single day numbers were Episyrphus balteatus (85) and a Syrphus emergence (140). Other notable records were Scaeva pyrastri (2)and yet more Eupeodes lapponicus (1).
Lots of butterflies with new for the year Ringlet, Meadow Brown and Small Skipper. The Ringlet in particular with huge numbers (100+). I also found a new site for Dark Green Fritillary. Day moths have seen the first Willow Tortrix appearing and a new for me but not the valley in Mompha terminella. Notch-horned Clegg are out in big numbers and becoming annoying.
Goshawk has bred successfully in the upper valley raising 2 chicks, Swifts and House Martins are also breeding well in Caerau, Nanty, Maesteg, Garth and Llangynwyd.
Eupeodes lapponicus - only recorded in Wales in the Llynfi Valley at two sites, 18 records so far in 2019, compared to six records from 2015 - 2018.
Mompha terminella - new for me following its discovery in the valley by Sid in 2016, which was the first adult for Glamorgan then, other records have all been leaf-mines.
Ringlet - out in huge numbers
Lots of butterflies with new for the year Ringlet, Meadow Brown and Small Skipper. The Ringlet in particular with huge numbers (100+). I also found a new site for Dark Green Fritillary. Day moths have seen the first Willow Tortrix appearing and a new for me but not the valley in Mompha terminella. Notch-horned Clegg are out in big numbers and becoming annoying.
Goshawk has bred successfully in the upper valley raising 2 chicks, Swifts and House Martins are also breeding well in Caerau, Nanty, Maesteg, Garth and Llangynwyd.
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