Every cloud

The weather has been abysmal for several days, with bad light even when it has been dry. Today I saw blue gaps in the cloud, so I ran for the hills, where the Angelica is abundant.

This hoverfly got me rather excited, because I knew I hadn't seen it before. Several shots were rattled off and anticipation was high during the rest of the photography session. When I got the pictures back to the computer and opened the books, I was slightly disappointed to discover it wasn't a new species for me, but merely a new colour variation of one that I had seen once before. It's the orange and black version of the bumblebee mimic Eriozona syrphoides.

The bumblebee-mimicking hoverfly Eriozona syrphoides

Eriozona syrphoides is the only bumblebee mimic to have an obtusely re-entrant (curved) vein at the position indicated by the arrow.

Note. I have amended the identification of this hoverfly as a result of a much better set of photographs taken a few days later.

Here's a shot of it beside an ichneumonid:

Eriozona syrphoides (right) and ichneumonid (left)

Staying with ichneumonids, this one has a quite impressive ovipositor:

Ichneumonid with long ovipositor

I saw a few of those wandering over Knapweed flowerheads, so we know what that ovipositor is used for.

This large brown specimen looks to be close to the Ophion family:

3 cm. ichneumonid

Dungflies are voracious hunters as adults (they're probably making up for all the dung they eat as larvae.) This one is making a meal of a smaller sawfly:

Dungfly with prey

But this dungfly has fallen foul of a little cream-coloured spider:

Spider with dungfly as prey

Now that's a truly vicious circle.

I was quite surprised to find a pristine Red Admiral butterfly nectaring on the Angelica:

Red Admiral butterfly

It's absolutely pristine, with no wear whatsoever, so it's clearly one of the local offspring of the early summer migrants. These feed solely on nettles as caterpillars.

At this time of year I always look closely at clusters of aphids on Knapweed. The larvae of the hoverfly Syrphus ribesii consume large numbers of aphids, and the female always makes sure her offspring have an adequate supply:

Larva of Syrphus ribesii with aphids

Meliscaeva cinctella is one of the later hoverflies, usually to be found from August onwards. Its larvae are also aphid eaters, but solely on tree-dwelling species, such as the Wooly beech aphid.

Meliscaeva cinctella hoverfly

Fairy Flax is a very delicate little flower which I tend to find near the edges of forestry, or along forest paths:

Fairy Flax

Just as I was getting out of the car, this leafhopper flew over my shoulder and landed on the path in front of me. Click.

The leafhopper Cicadella viridis

More from Drumboe

One of the quirks of Drumboe is what I call 'double planting' or 'underplanting'. The predominant tree is Beech, which casts a decent shade of its own. But some of the footpaths have young Birch planted along their length, leading to parts of the walk that are twice-shaded, first by the tall (200 year-old) Beech, and then by the underplanted Birch. These dark and damp areas are excellent for insect life.

This is another Tachinid. I think it looks quite menacing with those bristles and long legs. I suppose if you're a caterpillar, then it IS menacing:

The darker areas are also home to Wood Speedwell, which I think is one of the more delicate woodland plants with its apple-green leaves and pale flowers:

I spotted this little (12mm) mining bee on Dandelion. These are quite numerous in the right location. No id yet, but the good and great are working on it.

Drumboe has vast swathes of Bluebells under the Beeches. No white ones yet:

A hoverfly which can be found in very large numbers: Syrphus ribesii, female, basking in a little clearing.

And in the same clearing, the wonderful Hawthorn Shieldbug - Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale - (which I have never found near hawthorn):

Then something I have never seen before: it unfolded and opened its wings before flying off noisily into the dark part of the wood.

May gets going

The opening fronds of Lady Fern are incredibly geometric:


The first of the micromoths for this season: Micropterix calthella. Length? 3mm. Love the yellow 'wig'.


Is is just me, or are the Germander Speedwells particularly good this year? Serious eagle-eyes might spot a couple of Bush Vetch flowers in there, too.


Female Syrphus ribesii hoverfly:

I'm reflected in the thorax.