More synchronisation

Grasses can be incredibly difficult to identify, but fortunately - once the initial identification has taken place - many can be readily identified in the field. This is Meadow Foxtail - Alopecurus pratensis:

Meadow Foxtail grass

And this is Sweet Vernal Grass - Anthoxanthum odoratum, which gets its name from its sweet smell when dry, and also from the fact that it is one of the earliest grasses to flower:

Sweet Vernal grass

Of course, as soon as those fresh new leaves are available, the parasites move in. This is the rust Puccinia graminis on Meadow Foxtail:

Puccinia graminis on Meadow Foxtail grass

Now that the sun is out again, micromoths are making an appearance. This is Ancylis badiana, about 10mm long:

The micromoth Ancylis badiana

The larvae of Ancylis badiana feed on various members of the pea family, including clovers and vetches. The larvae of the following species of micromoth, however, are unknown.

Micropterix calthella is always to be found in or near Meadow Buttercup. Adults are 4mm long.

The micromoth Micropterix calthella on Meadow Buttercup

I watched this specimen as it wandered over the flower and then posed in profile. Note the wonderful yellow tuft of hair, like a wig:

Micropterix calthella close-up

Given the adult moth's predilection for Meadow Buttercup, I'd guess the larvae live on the roots of it.

As I was walking along, I felt a tickle on my arm, and I immediately thought "It's too early for midges". I rattled off a couple of shots of the microscopic beast and was delighted to find this minute (2mm) Chalcid wasp struggling through the hairs on my arm. Chalcids are tiny members of the Ichneumonid family, parasitising micromoths and other small insects. 

Chalcid wasp

Note the very sparse wing venation, which is a feature of Chalcids, and also the dark triangular pterostigma, which is a feature of ichneumonids in general.

Staying with parasitisation, I found this 'mummified' aphid on Cow Parsley. Aphids which are inflated and glossy like this have usually been parasitised by a member of the Aphidius family of Braconid wasps, which are yet another branch of the ichneumonid family:

Aphid parasitised by Aphidius sp. wasp

Ferns are all unrolling, now. This is Scaly Male fern - Dryopteris affinis:

Scaly Male fern unfurling

Ferns are a major component of the hedgerow, providing food, shelter, display and basking opportunities for many insect species.

Miniature elegance

On 27th April I showed the micromoth Ancylis badiana in its normal delta configuration. Today I was very surprised to find one posing with its wings widely spread:

I'm wondering if it was a female showing off her charms. Wingspan about 15mm across in this configuration.

The first of the Tachinid flies for this year:

Tachinids are parasitic on the larvae of moths and butterflies and can usually be identified by their overall 'bristly' appearance. I also generally find that flies with extensive white marks on the fascia might well turn out to be Tachinids on further analysis.

I found this Buff Ermine moth - Spilosoma luteum - on my kitchen floor:

Explosion

I like it when insects position themselves so that you can get something other than the usual 'top-shot', because it makes it more of a portrait than a straight photograph:

You have to be quick, though: ladybirds are predators and pursue their prey quite rapidly. Anticipation is everything.

I followed the flight of this micromoth until it landed and I got a few shots as it rested. Many of the micromoths are at least as handsome as the easier-to-see macromoths. Ancylis badiana is a good example of that, at about 10mm long:

Germander Speedwell starts off blue, but turns violet once it has been pollinated. Maybe it's a signal to bees that they'd be better off visiting somewhere else.

(Incidentally, the stem leading out of the picture towards mid-right shows the diagnostic twin rows of hairs.)

My first Orange Tip butterflies of the year, and it's a mating pair (what did I say about no time being wasted?). The one on the right is the male: you can just make out the orange of his wing-tips:

The presence of the Orange Tip in my patch means that Cardamine will very soon be in flower. The local butterflies are totally dependent on the plant and their emergence is tightly synchronised with it. (They are also known to use Garlic Mustard, Honesty and Dames Violet, so those might be the foodplant in your area).

An early glimpse of what looks to be the Garden Tiger moth caterpillar:

Mixed bag

This is the fourth (and final, I think) of the Damselfly species on my local patch. Emerald Damselfly - Lestes sponsa, a male.



The Downlooker Fly - Rhagio scolopacea - is one of the Snipe Flies. They adopt this characteristic position on leaves, bark or plant stems, leaping to catch passing insects and returning to their perch to consume their prey.


I rather suspect that micromoths are widely overlooked. Most of the 'flies' or 'midges' seen fluttering around on verges and hedges are, in fact, micromoths. They can be detected in flight by their erratic, sometimes spiraling, trajectory. The instant they land they become virtually invisible, either blending into the background or hiding under leaves. Most of the shots I get of them come from observing the flight pattern and keeping them firmly in sight until they land.

This is Ancylis badiana, which has two generations per year:


This large (20mm) Ichneumonid is readily recognisable from the white-tipped antennae and ruby-red abdomen. They land on leaves and very quickly run to the underside in search of caterpillars to parasitise.


The very long proboscis of the dance-fly Empis stercorea has multiple uses. Here it is being used to suck up nectar from Cow Parsley flowers.



Yet another new moth species for me: Coxcomb Prominent - Ptilodon capucina. You can just imagine how well this would be camouflaged against bark or dry leaves.