Caerau (Monday)

 Although the weather was poor, it's now Devilsbit Scabious season and it looks like a good crop this season. With this and good back-up from Goldenrod and Angelica, I managed a healthy 34 species some in good numbers. With the Scabious usually comes the larger more colourful hoverflies and I wasn't dissapointed. Highlights included Chrysotoxum bicintum, Chrysotoxum Festivum, Dasysyrphus albostriatus, Eupeodes latifasciatus, Xanthogramma pedissequum, Helophilus hybridus, Helophilus pendulus, Myathropa florea, Sericomyis silentis, Volucella bombylans and Volucella pellucens.

Other insect highlights included another Star-wort larva on Goldenrod, and the flies Tachina fera and Physocephela rufipes. No visible bird migration as of yet.

Devilsbit Scabiuos patch

Volucella pellucens

Baccha elongata

Myathropa florea

Serociomyia silentis

Star-wort larva on Goldenrod

Gilfach (west), Top Llan

 Not much to see in-between the heavy showers, but what was seen was of good quality in the hoverfly world.

Didea fasciata - having a good year

Chrysotoxum arcuatum - summer brood

Xanthogramma pedissequum s.s.- the sternite (underneath abdomen) identification feature not shown in this photo but seen in field.

Rhingia campestris - second brood rather scarce this year

Meliscaeva cinctella -commonest hoverfly at this time of year on Angelica

Maesteg cemetery area

 Weather broke and became sunny in the afternoon, so a 3hr walk around the cemetery and school area produced 34 species with the pick being Volucella zonaria supported by Chrysotoxum bicinctum, Melangyna umbellatarum and Volucella pellucens. Commonest species were Eristalis tenax (60) and Cheilosia impressa (50). The Syrphus ribesii irruption continues with 12 females noted.

Pick of the other insect families  included the bug Adelphocoris quadripunctatus (a Glamorgan speciality), the conopid fly Physocephala rufipes, The Tachinid fly Tachina fera and the Tortoise Shieldbug. Eight species of butterfly included Red Admiral and 16 Speckled Wood (my largest day count so far). Also seen was the micro moth Mompha locupletella but photos were out of focus.

Volucella zonaria

Volucella pellucens

Melangyna umbellatarum

Adelphocoris quadripunctatus

Tortoise Shieldbug

Physocephala rufipes

Tachina fera

Blaencaerau (Thursday)

 Hoverflies seem to be dropping rapidly. Only 23 species seen in a 2hr walk, Chrysotoxum festivum being the pick. Lots of various Tachinid flies about just wish I had a key so I could capture and identify a few.

Chrysotoxum festivum

Eupeodes luniger (face shot out of focus)

Conopid Fly - Physocephala (probably - rufipes)

various insects this week

 

Phasia hemiptera

Ypsolopha parenthensis

Tachina fera

Nowickia ferox

Marsh Damselbug

Golden-ringed Dragonfly

Dock Bug - late instar

hoverflies this week

 It looks like hoverfly numbers have peaked and started the great wind down for the year. 44 species this week with some photos below. Places visited include Spelter, Maesteg golf course and Garnwen lower moors.

Dasysyrphus albostriatus

Sericomyia silentis

Syrphus ribesii

Top Llan (Gilfach west)

 Weatherman promised sunny weather today - he got it wrong again, it was overcast with only brief spells of fine weather. Recorded 21 species of hoverflies with numbers dropping slightly maybe due to the weather. New for the year was Leucozona glaucia and other highlights include Eupeodes lapponicus and Didea fasciata.

Leucozona glaucia

Eupeodes lapponicus

Didea fasciata

Bordered Beauty

New tachinid for valley

 Just had this tachinid confirmed on Irecord as Dinera cariniformis which is new for the valley. Not many records from South Wales.

Hoverflies still out in good numbers on Thursday with 34 species of 900 individuals at Caerau and Spelter. Also a Slow Worm crossed the path in front of me and the first Starwort caterpillars are appearing on Goldenrod which is just starting to bloom.

Slow Worm

Starwort caterpillar

Dasysyrphus albostriatus