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

Caerau/Blaencaerau (Saturday)

 Weather was not as good as predicted, being mostly cloudy with the odd brief shower. Nevertheless the mass emergence of hoverflies continues, with flies on virtually every blossom especially Hogweed and Angelica. The end total was 2524 hoverflies of 50 species (only my second time to achieve 50 species in a day). Highlight was my third ever Sericomyia superbiens, a full list with photos below.

Melanostoma mellinum (1)
Melanostoma scalare (100)
Platycheirus albimanus (140)

Platycheirus granditarsus (3)

Platycheirus scutatus (1)

Chrysotoxum bicinctum (6)

Chrysotoxum arcuatum (1)

Dasysyrphus albostriatus (3)

Epistrophe grossulariae (4) - new for the year

Episyrphus balteatus (120)

Eupeodes corollae (2)

Eupeodes latifasciatus (1) - new for the year

Eupeodes luniger (8)

Leucozona laternaria (3) - new for the year

Melangyna compositarum (1) - new for the year

Melangyna umbellatarum (2)

Meliscaeva auricollis (240)

Meliscaeva cinctella (80)

Parasyrphus lineola (1)

Scaeva pyrastri (8)

Spaerophoria scripta (12)

Sphaerophoria sp. (8)

Syrphus ribesii (9)

Syrphus torvus (11)

Syrphus vitripennis (2)

Syrphus sp. (1280)

Cheilosia bergenstammi (7)

Cheilosia fraterna (1)

Cheilosia illustrata (22)

Cheilosia impressa (130)

Cheilosia pagana (4)

Cheilosia proxima (4)

Cheilosia scutellata (15)

Cheilosia vernalis (3)

Cheilosia sp. (35)

Chrysogaster solstitialis (35)

Melanogaster hirtella (1)

Orthonevra nobilis (1)

Eristalis arbustorum (3)

Eristalis horticola (1)

Eristalis nemorum (3) 

Eristalis pertinax (240)

Eristalis tenax (5)

Helophilus pendulus (5)

Myathropa florea (6)

Pipizella viduata (6)

Pipizella sp. (5)

Sericomyia silentis (3)

Sericomyia superbiens (1) - new for the year

Volucella bombylans (2) - plumata form

Volucella pellucens (1)

Syritta pipiens (30)

Xylota jakutorum (4)

Xylota segnis (3)

Garnwen lower moors

 Although somewhat cloudy the first big emergence of hoverflies of the summer occurred today with over a thousand individuals seen of 30 species. Largest numbers seen were various Syrphus species (400+), Episyrphus balteatus (300+) and Platycheirus albimanus (250+). New for the year was a male Eupeodes lapponicus and other highlights included Melangyna umbellatarum and a late Sericomyia Lappona.

All the usual butterflies, bumblebees and day flying moths were seen. Beetles were well represented in the longhorn beetles Leptura quadrifasciatus and Pachytodes cerambyciformis as well as 1000's of the Soldier beetle Rhagonycha fulva. Lots of various tachinid flies about as well as the conopid flies Conops ceriaeformis and Sicus ferrugineous. Only birds of note were juvenile Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Jay.

Sericomyia lappona

Syrphus irruption

Conops ceriaeformis

Leptura quadrifasciata