Caerau - street lanes and old railway path

 The first of the Ivy has opened in the back lanes of Treharne Road and one particular bush was dripping with hoverflies. Of the 30 species recorded today 24 of them were at this single spot. The rest of the species were recorded along the old railway path behind Railway Terrace, where there is a small patch of Michaelmas Daisy. Highlights for this time of year included - Dasysyrphus tricinctus, Eupeodes latifasciatus, Scaeva pyrastri, Helophilus hybridus, Helophilus trivittatus and Volucella zonaria. Most numerous hoverflies where Eristalis tenax (65) and surprisingly Melanostoma mellinum (45). Plenty of other insects were about too, some of which I photographed.

Small Ivy in bloom with many species of hoverfly

Scaeva pyrastri

Volucella zonaria

Dasysyrphus tricinctus

Helophilus trivittatus

Eristalis horticola

Myathropa florea

Rhingia rostrata

Sericomyia silentis

Dark Giant Horsefly

Green Shieldbug - late instar

Harlequin ladybird

Short-winged Conehead

Ivy Bee - first I've seen in a couple of years.