I noticed that the Knapweed was covered in brown aphids, so I settled down to see if any female hoverflies came along. Sure enough, a female
Episyrphus balteatus arrived and as soon as she spotted the aphids she started to lay. The aphids are in trouble, since her larvae will consume them by the hundred.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZd8ku34MMSzNP9j7Qer3x-wS-aOQnQPUb7wjuLCjVQ1VOysbh9NjnhyphenhyphenWFhYLWHimPNHsRhil4iTkYDnTNkFzlicwwRITjISpMZKWsUrydUehXc4X1JVZsjIQxj3xlFu1_VbZvsH86Q/s280/episyrphus-laying.jpg)
Sometimes she laid her eggs quite distant from the aphids (but always on the same plant). At other times she laid a lot closer:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ma4kCivuhmi_eGanli-9f5IxyYNcyz6dlwQl7-TWxoRPTvCbQx318jcYbjvA7uw28j3zxtivkptCzJx1rZkgy3NgpHIhcohiH0KvvP6Bgh2A6xHgqZrgZQxZ99FOE7CMqYJcbzoHiA/s280/episyrphus-laying-2-web.jpg)
Spiders are the major gap in my knowledge. I must start on them next year.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkAthgBDkhMB2J5wWVgljjln8azPBRMr6DjodNpuqAXW1N8WSvp6zapjQTmvge8i6WSb0SfriEpFZky0joFwNNwCf_qECgA_VjdWlmM8jz3SIZU_VZU0OqHMdJB3Y6yNi0FwY_Wz2HQ/s280/long-spider-web.jpg)
I was getting acquainted with emerging specimens of Angelica, in preparation for the July flowering, and I spotted this mine of
Phytomyza angelicastri:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVp3_OS28SfP73jPiM3VS0xt_icOl-3rVqhfULro4lNZVJE6kFuao7ZzipnVOBk3hlcNio9xkoMStM3-AIzneG5GYPZBIdF3VXL1CP2U1iKLvpIPyD3FoqQ6dHsLqf8YF_DqiRdAqFA/s280/phytomyza-angelicastri-web.jpg)
A couple of additional images of Dactylorhiza orchids with slightly unusual markings. This one has very vague nectar guides:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5pgHtuUuw6dOQM732LJz1Ig6j4llDSTGgYy2BBg88DeAJTRxPUpE_fTKX-5TyODjCOlgzVEEV38BxO3Zk2OxyhMBwrMVQ1nfqWkFLHbmTSO8GLKw9spArUE8OHSP8s2UksUnWqOxNQ/s400/cso-run-web.jpg)
And this one has nectar guides which are much redder than usual:
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