The Angelica is still our major nectar source, and it should still be in flower for the next two weeks, although the central umbels have now gone to seed. I wandered along the lane examining all the Angelica, but also glancing at other plants as I passed.
This shot required observation and anticipation: the Eristalis tenax hoverfly was wandering in a fairly straight line across the Ragwort, so I focussed on the flower and took the shot as it came up over the horizon.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H9guhFL4EGet8H1Tbix0OHrls2F0qCtLrFlHXPnmNQ0xYpt3oWomcMowRkHREUMOrcMoUEiXKZJJqScIZP0EYjpUlM9c532AgB1yj9xTvXhMqd74netkkoaTcao9qY8QdbziloacbQ/s400/eristalis-tenax-web.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91a1eojwSpVE7eVoSCD5uGx20KnZ2thHtegHH-t-m03IjCKJq_vgH6pqv6nzR4qngASYpX_Z7ckt3uOXxpRPk_RuVlL_60GhC42B9eaoyAAU-MpDeGSqydb7U68Gi-6jOVTWVkJSSRg/s400/meliscaeva-cincta-web.jpg)
The Nematoceran fly Sciara hemerobioides is all over the Angelica at this time of year. The larvae are fungus eaters, and the adults live for only a few days:
3 comments:
Great photos again, Stuart.
The Sciara hemerobioides I photographed last week. I think it was the black wings which caught my eye; quite unusual.
I've seen a quite a number of Ichneuminoid in 2008 and 2009, however I've not seen any this year yet! Are you seeing a difference in numbers at all?
I would say I have seen many more Ichneumonids this year, although probably more males than usual and fewer females. (males aren't always required - the females are usually self-fertile). On my trip to Scotland, however, I didn't see a single specimen. That's almost certainly due to a lack of moths which were also rather thin on the ground.
As a figure to work with, I reckon I see perhaps 100 Ichneumonids in a 20 minute photography session. Amblyteles armatorius is particularly numerous this year, which probably points to a successful year for the larger moths last year (although 'success' is a relative term when so many potential moths turn out to be Ichneumonids).
It just gets better and better :-) That E.tenax shot is just wonderful. I saw reasonable numbers of ichs earlier in the season, but numbers do seem to have dropped of late - and I never get as many as you.
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