Ditto

 Visited the same places as last weekend with the Devilsbit Scabious fading fast, probably only a week left, but the Michaelmas Daisy is still going strong as is Japanese Knotweed. The final flowering plant of the year "Ivy" is just starting to open in some well sunlit areas. The number of hoverflies are now dropping dramatically, with less than a month left of the season. Over the weekend I recorded 17 species at My Bach (south) and 21 species at Caerau with greatly reduced numbers. Highlights being Chrysotoxum arcuatum, Eupeodes latifasciatus and Volucella zonaria.

Eupeodes latifasciatus

Eupeodes luniger - egg laying on Meadow Vetchling

Small Copper

Sweet Chestnut - new for the C.O.P

Long-winged Conehead

Locust Blow-fly (Stomorhina lunulata) - only previously recorded in Glamorgan near coastal regions (5th record)

*** confirmed on Irecord, it has been a good year for this migrant and is now thought to be breeding here, as the name suggests it is a parasite of European locusts but may be using native grasshoppers and crickets in the UK. New for the valley also. ***