Ivy watch season saw me visit Caerau (13 species) and Maesteg Welfare Park (12 species) this week. Highlights were surprisingly late Chrysotoxum arcuatum and Sphegina clunipes. Otherwise the commonest hoverfly was Episyrphus balteatus (32). Nothing much else to report except Ivy Bees are hanging on at Caerau.
Hoverfly numbers are now dropping dramatically with most of the flowers dying off. So this time of the year means its time to tour the Ivy patches for the next few weeks. Saturday was fine so visited Maesteg cemetery and also a quick look around the patches of Caerau. I recorded 13 species (the record is 17 species for October). Highlights included Eupeodes latifasciatus, Scaeva pyrastri and Sericomyia silentis. Most numerous was Eristalis tenax (14).
Of the other insects, a few butterflies were still on the wing in Comma and Red Admiral, I also had a Parent Bug (Shieldbug) which I haven't seen for a while
