Top Llan in the sunshine.

Stopped at top Llangynwyd on the way home from work as the best areas get direct sunshine in the afternoon. A lot less walker types about now, only 2 cars in the car park as opposed to twenty, hurray. A good haul of 29 species of hoverfly were recorded, new for the year were Megasyrphus erratica (2m), Eupeodes lapponicus (1f), Melangyna umbellatarum (1m) and Parasyrphus lineola (1m) taken me to 99 for the year. Other good records included Chrysotoxum festivum (1m), Scaeva pyrastri (1f), Xanthogramma pedissequum s.s (2) and Volucella bombylans (plumata form male). Most common species was Cheilosia illustrata (65).

Plenty of other fly families also feeding on the masses of Hogweed including Conopidae - Sicus ferrugineous, Physocephala rufipes. Tachinidae - Dexiosoma caninum, Phasia hemipters (2m,16f) and the micro moths Pammene aurana (20) and Dichrorampha alpinana (1) which was new for me and confirmed on irecord.  

Scaeva pyrastri - migrant hoverfly

Dichrorampha alpinana-tick for me but not new for valley

Large Skipper - seem to be very common this year

Phasia hemiptera (female) - very common today

Neuroterus numismalis - Silk Button Gall [new for valley]

Lletty Brongu woods and lanes Saturday

Weather was overcast with drizzle at times, but the lanes are now covered in Hogweed as well as open patches in the woods. Despite the weather I recorded 29 species of hoverfly. New for the year included Leucozona laternaria (1m), Leucozona glaucia (1f), Sphegina elegans (1f) and Xanthogramma pedissequum (1m) taking me to 95 species for the year. Other highlights included Platycheirus angustatus (1f), Scaeva pyrastri (4) and Cheilosia vernalis (1m). Some of the common species were out in good numbers like Melanostoma scalare (65), Platycheirus albimanus (22), Cheilosia illustrata (16), Chrysogaster solstitialis (57), Neoascia podagrica (50), Sphegina species (20), Eristalis pertinax (35) and Syritta pipiens (100).

Cheilosia impressa

Cheilosia scutellata

Lucozona glaucia

Xanthogramma pedissequum

Sericomyia silentis

Meliscaeva auricollis

Myathropa florea

Volucella pellucens

Some insects this week

Been a hard week for photography, with the weather dodgy at times, so here's a few shots I managed to take.

Phytomyza tussilaginis - fly leaf-mine on Coltsfoot [new for valley].

Dexiosoma caninum - Tachinid fly

Black-horned Gem - Soldier Fly

Chrysotoxum bicinctum - Hoverfly

Cheilosia impressa - Hoverfly

Holly Blue - my first photograph of this species of butterfly

Myopa testacea - Conopid fly

Lower Valley weekend strolls

Some fine weather this weekend meant I could walk the hedgerows and woods of the lower valley. I visited Lletty Brongu Lanes, Pont Rhyd-y-Cyff Lanes and Cwm Goblyn Beech Woods. A total of 36 species of hoverfly was recorded even though I'm still missing some common species for the year, nevertheless my total is now 90 for the year. New for the year included Lejogaster metallina (1), Cheilosia scutellata (4), Dasysyrphus pinastri (1) and Didea fasciata (2m).  The Hogweed species were out in good numbers - Cheilosia illustrata (66), Chrysogaster solstitialis (178) and surprisingly Orthonevra nobilis (16). Some of the better species included Riponnensia splendens (2), Scaeva pyrastri (1f), Volucella pellucens (2) and Criorhina berberina (5) three of which were of the scarce form "oxycanthae".

 Volucella pellucens

 Gall mite on Beech - Hartigiola annulipes - new for valley

Beech woods at Cwm Goblyn

Tree Damselbug - confirmed on Irecord and new for the valley

Blaencaerau

Finally got out, for what seems like an eternity. I'm off now until 20th July. Got a lot of catching up to do if the weather holds out.

23 species of hoverfly seen today with Melangyna labiatarum, Parhelophilus versicolor and Merodon equestris new for the year. A few species were out in good numbers like Episyrphus balteatus (43), Cheilosia illustrata (30) and Eupeodes corollae (22). Other highlights included Eupeodes luniger (2f), Scaeva pyrastri (1f) and Syrphus vitripennis (2f).

New insects for the year include the micro moths Ancylis badiana (1), Pammene aurana (5) and the conopid fly Physocephala rufipes.

the hoverfly - Merodon equestris

Micro moth - Pammene aurana

weekly photo round-up

Eupeodes corollae

Cerodontha iraeos (Yellow Iris leaf-miner [Fly])

Phragmidium violaceum (Bramble Rust Fungus)

Puccinia poarum (Coltsfoot Rust Fungus)

Field Grasshopper

Volucella pellucens

Top Llan - Sunday

A slightly better day today for hoverflies, with 20 species seen in the 22c heat. First of the year (in fact 2 years) in Scaeva selenitica. With The S. selenitica and Episyrphus balteatus (28) making their way north-west there seemed to be a bit of hoverfly migration happening. There was also a large emergence of Meliscaeva auricollis (74).

First Bee Beetle of the year was seen and also the soldier beetle Cantharis flavilabris was new for the valley since it's recent split from Cantharis nigra. They have different pronotum colours black in flavibris and red in nigra, will have to check back photos to see which ones I've seen. Plenty of Common Lizard were basking on the boulders that stop motorbikes entering the forestry paths.

Bee Beetle on Bramble next to a Speckled Longhorn for size comparison

Cantharis flavilabris

Common Lizard

Meliscaeva auricollis - big emergence today

Scaeva selenitica - a migrant hoverfly from mainland Europe

Mynydd Bach (south), Maesteg [SS8691]

Poor Day all round even though it was 21c at times the heavy dark cloud cover meant hovers were keeping hidden. In fact only 7 species were seen, unheard of in June, I should be hitting 30 species at this time of year. Chrysotoxum cautum was the pick of a small bunch. At times like this my mind wanders and I start looking for galls on trees and today I came up with the gall mite Aceria pseudoplatani on Sycamore, which was new for the valley. Little else to write about.

Chrysotoxum cautum

Volucella bombylans (plumata form)

Eupeodes corollae

galls on Sycamore caused by the gall mite Aceria pseudoplatani

Large Skipper

week off round-up

Weather hasn't been brilliant for my week off, hoverfly numbers have been generally low. Nevertheless I took my yearly tally to 83, this is quite poor for the time of year, I should be around 90+ species by now.

Some highlights include Platycheirus rosarum (0 seen in 2019), Chrysotoxum festivum (1m), Criorhina berberina (1f), Cheilosia lasiopa (2f), Anasymia contracta (7) and the emergence of the 2 common Volucella -  V. bombylans and V. pellucens.

On the bird front most species have now settled in with at least 3 pairs of Swift nesting in my street. Also located 2 nests of House Martin in Caerau Road. Lots of insects were new for the year (pictures below).

Volucella bombylans (red-tailed form)

Red-headed Cardinal Beetle

Rutpela maculata (longhorn beetle)

Grammoptera ruficornis (longhorn beetle)

Myopa buccata (conopid fly - 1st for me)

Burnet Companion (day flying moth)

Depressaria daucella caterpillar (micro moth specialist feeder on [Hemlock] Water Droplet plants)

Weekly round-up

I have a week off work starting tomorrow, so I'm hoping for some fine weather after the rain, which should see an explosion in aphid numbers and therefore a large increase in hoverfly numbers for the species whose larva feed on them.

Didn't get out much last week for one reason or another but here's a round-up.

23 species of hoverfly were seen, highlights included Dasysyrphus venustus (2f), Melangyna lasiophthalma (1f), Parasyrphus punctulatus (1m) and Sericomyia silentis (2). There has been a large emergence of Eristalis nemorum (32). Highlights of other insects included my first Wasp Beetle (Longhorn beetle) for a few years.

Wasp Beetle (Longhorn beetle - Clytus arietis)

Chrysogaster Solstitialis

Dasysyrphus venustus - above and below, showing the diagnostic pattern of the sternites (underneath of abdomen), which separates it from the very similar Dasysyrphus neovenustus.

Melangyna lasiophthalma - quite a late record