weekly round-up

Still a few species of hoverfly feeding on what's left of the Ivy, highlights being a female Sericomyia silentis at Lletty Brongu woods and a very late Volucella pellucens at the cemetery both on the 27th. A fruit fly was also seen at the cemetery which was confirmed on Irecord as Eulieia heraclei  and is new for the valley. Lastly a Red Admiral was also there.

 Red Admiral

 Eulieia heraclei - fruit fly

Melanostoma scalare

Hoverfly season almost over

I've been visiting the valley's Ivy patches as they are all that's left for flies to feed on this autumn. The weather has also been unkind and there have been very few fine days. So it's no surprise that there are only a few common species still on the wing. I might get odd records during November and December but the season is certainly almost over. Sericomyia silentis is about the best record (19th Oct) and highest count was 6 Melanostoma scalare (20th Oct) and they are also the latest species to be seen so far this year (22nd Oct).

Other insects are few and far between with Green Shieldbug still present and late showing of Red Admiral and Comma butterflies.

I've sent my specimens to the hoverfly recording scheme, so there should be some new for the valley records there. I'll update when I receive a reply.

Probably the last "tidy" record of the year (19th Oct) - Sericomyia silentis on Ivy at Maesteg cemetery.

Maesteg cemetery Ivy

Today was the first fine day since 21st September, so Ivy being the only flower in bloom now, the cemetery was on the cards. I recorded 13 species of hoverfly which is not to bad for the time of year. Eristalis tenax (30) was the most numerous, with better records being Scaeva pyrastri (1), Sericomyia silentis (1) and Xylota segnis (1).

5 Comma and 5 Red Admiral were the pick of the other insects, I failed to find any Ivy Bees again.

Had a quick stop at Maesteg Hospital Welfare Park where a small Ivy bank produced four species headed by Sericomyia silentis (1).

 Sericomyia silentis

 Scaeva pyrastri

 Eristalis tenax

 Eristalis pertinax

 Eristalis nemorum

Comma