Heath

This heathy area was under coniferous plantation until about 8 years ago, and the original flora and fauna are now slowly returning as the land reverts. Willows, heathers, rushes and mosses are the early colonisers, and these largely dictate which other species can be found.

Despite the awful month of May - during which it rained every day - most species are still a bit early this year, so I thought it was time to catch some Spotted Orchids before they reached full flower, when they are not nearly as attractive as they are in the early flowering stages.

This area has Spotted Orchids that cover the spectrum between Common Spotted Orchid and Heath Spotted Orchid, although the closely-related Northern Marsh Orchid that I showed last week is only about 1 kilometre away. These orchids all hybridise freely, and back-cross, so there cannot be any 'pure' specimens left. I can safely predict where I will find specimens that look most like Heath Spotted Orchid, and those are generally on the very edge of ditches, or even in lying water. I strongly suspect that the form of these hybrids is tightly governed by the micro-climate that they live in, and happily refer to all of these specimens as ecomorphs of hybrid Spotted Orchids. To that end I have started to give them a 'parentage percentage', which specifies how much of each of the parents I think are present in each specimen.

Here are a couple that I would place firmly in the Common Spotted Orchid camp, because the front lobe of the flower has a strong tooth:

Common Spotted Orchid

Common Spotted Orchid

The next pair have the outer sides of the flower more rounded and frilled, which sees some aspects of Heath Spotted Orchid creeping in. The spike is also often flatter:

Spotted Orchid

Spotted Orchid

I have included the next shot because it shows the rotation of the flower, which forms upside down, and then rotates into its upright position as it opens:

Spotted Orchid

I think that's my new favourite orchid photograph. Absolutely lovely.

The next shot shows an oddity that appeared in this location about 5 or 6 years ago:

White Bush Vetch

It's Bush Vetch, but rather than the normal blue/purple, it's purest white. When I first saw it, I suspected that some chemical dumping had taken place, but it has spread over the years and has jumped to an area that used to have the normal blue type. It's not unknown for blue or purple flowers to have white variants, and I'm told that this is more common in the west. Maybe the dampness has something to do with it.

Another few heath species have made returns. The first is Heath Milkwort, with the flower just opening:

Heath Milkwort

And my favourite Speedwell, Heath Speedwell, which forms tall, elegant spikes:

Heath Speedwell

The next two shots show two very closely-related micromoths, each about 5mm. long, and which are both leaf-miners on grasses. The first is Elachista luticomella:

Elachista luticomella

And the gorgeous Elachista argentella:

Elachista argentella

I spotted these ants attending their aphids on Willow:

Ants farming aphid for honeydew

Ants often 'farm' aphids, taking the exuded honeydew back to their nest, and protecting their aphids from attack by other species.

False dawn

The high pressure weather system lasted approximately 36 hours, so we're back to rain again.

A few of our day-flying moths are quite butterfly-like in appearance and habit, although the smaller size will generally be a major clue to the difference. This is the Clouded Border -  Lomaspilis marginata -  which is associated with various trees. In this location it will be Willow:

Clouded Border moth  - Lomaspilis marginata

There are quite a few different species of Soldier Beetle in this area. This all-red version (apart from the black knees) is Cantharis pallida:

 Soldier Beetle - Cantharis pallida

Given that we're in early June, I suspect that its close relative Rhagonycha fulva will soon be appearing everywhere, especially on the flowers of various Umbellifers.

This isn't a new fly to me - I see it every year - but it is a new identification. It's the Callophorid fly Lucilia caesar:

Callophorid fly  Lucilia caesar

The Callophorids contain Bluebottles, Greenbottles and Flesh Flies, which are all recyclers of carrion.

Ichneumonids are now around in large numbers. This is perfectly reasonable, since there are many caterpillars and other insect larvae around to parasitise. This one was flying between - and carefully inspecting - the unrolling fronds of Lady Fern, presumably looking for moth or sawfly larvae:

Ichneumonid on unfurling fern frond of Lady Fern

This moth larva might well be one of its targets, although I haven't identified it yet.

Moth larva on Cow Parsley

It was crawling up the stem of Cow Parsley, but it isn't one of the Umbellifer feeders. Perhaps it was just sheltering from the rain.

A dry day!

Today was the first dry day since 28th April, so I wasted no time.

The Orange Tip larva continues to graze on the Cardamine seedpods:

Orange Tip larva on Lady's Smock

The micromoth in the next image is the first of two new species for me on today's page. It's Coleophora albicosta, which feeds on Gorse, spinning up inside the flowers and then, eventually, a seedpod.

The micromoth Coleophora albicosta

I like the configuration that Coleophora specimens have....very elegant.

The 6mm micromoth Elachista apicipunctella is a leaf-miner on a number of grasses:

The micromoth Elachista apicipunctella

Moth Flies, or Owl Midges have the most amazing hairy wings. The drag must be immense for such a small (4-5 mm wingspan) creature:

Owl Midge

I thought this close-up of the Banded Snail Cepaea hortensis was worth showing:

Banded Snail Cepaea hortensis

Because of the incessant rain, I missed the very start of the local orchid season. Some specimens of Northern Marsh Orchid already have open flowers:

Northern Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella

With all the wet weather we've had, it's no surprise that the fungal rusts are so prominent. Puccinia urticata is specific to Nettle, and can cause these swellings on leaves and stems:

Nettle rust Puccinia urticata 

Fungi are quite expert at manipulating the shape of plants for their own benefit; in this case to maximise the surface area for spore production and dispersal.

Athous haemorroidalis is one of the Click Beetles. Click Beetles have a mechanism (clearly shown in the picture below) whereby they can trap and release a notch on their pronotum with a sudden click and go flying up in the air to right themselves if they get stuck on their back.

Click Beetle Athous haemorroidalis

An identification that has been bothering me for perhaps 8 years has finally been resolved. The Sawfly below is a male Tenthredo livida, which can be distinguished from other Tenthredo species that have white-banded antennae by the two-tone (pale v-shaped) stigma on the wings. You can just make out the red abdomen which identifies it as a male:

Sawfly Tenthredo livida (male)

As larvae, Tenthredo livida eat a wide range of plants, but the most likely candidate in this location is Raspberry. Now that I know what it is, I can check back on Sawfly larvae that I have previously photographed on Raspberry and check them for a match. I like tying up these connections, even if they take 8 years to resolve.

St. Marks Flies continue to appear through the year, and it's now time for Bibio pomacaeus, which is readily identified by the red legs:

St. Mark's fly Bibio pomonae

(The leaf it's resting on belongs to another Northern Marsh Orchid.)

Flies belonging to the Empidae are sometimes known as Dance Flies because they gather in swarms and move up and down in the air as they fly around each other. This is Empis stercorea, which spends its time between dances by catching other insects and sucking out their body fluids with that long proboscis:

Snipe Fly Empis stercorea

Agromyza nana mines Red Clover leaves, and the single larva can be seen right in the centre of the leaf.

Leaf miner Agromyza nana on Red Clover

I think I have a new favourite picture, but I rather suspect I'll get a new favourite, soon.

Still raining

The weather has continued to be very wet, with rain every day of May and an associated slowing-down of sightings. I have managed to sneak out in the less wet spells, however, and made the best of the bad light.

Lady's Mantle tends to sneak up and surprise you. One day it's invisible, and the next the flowers are out. The large folded leaves are ideal for insects such as micromoths to make their larval 'spinnings' for their shelter.

Lady's Mantle

The fronds of Male Fern have only just unfurled and the spore-bearing sori are already in place (although they will remain empty for quite some time, yet).)

Sori of Male Fern

The hedgerow has at least five species of Potentilla (and also the hybrid P. x mixta) in various places along its length. Silverweed is one of the easiest to identify, with its downy silver leaves:

Silverweed

The striking Marsh Cinquefoil is currently in bud, so I'll show pictures of that very soon, weather permitting.

The Orange Tip larva that I showed the other day is now about 4mm long. Note the damage to the seedpod, which the larva has caused by eating it. This is the only foodstuff that the larva will ever eat, moving from one pod to another as it finishes each one off.

Orange Tip larva showing pod damage

Bumblebee workers are busy in the gaps in the rain. They're still very small, so I suspect the rain has limited their pollen-gathering ability to quite an extent.

Bumblebee worker landing on Raspberry flower

Ichneumonids have started to appear in large numbers, which is no great surprise: their target moth and butterfly larvae are fattening up nicely, now.

Ichneumonid on Cow Parsley

Ichneumonid (left) and the hoverfly Syritta pipiens

The second shot also includes a rear view of a male Syritta pipiens hoverfly.

The next shot took me a couple of hours to tie down to species. It's a Lesser Dungfly which keys out to Cordilura rufimana. The Cordilura family is quite large, with some 22 species on the BI list. Most are dung-feeders as larvae, but C. rufimana appears to feed on the rootstock of various plants.

The Lesser Dungfly Cordilura rufimana

Surprisingly similar, but totally unrelated, is the Stilt Fly Neria cibaria. These have a strange habit of lowering their mouth to the upper surface of leaves and then rocking backwards and forwards on those long legs, shaving the upper surface of the leaf, presumably for food.

Neria cibaria - a Stilt Fly

A couple of sawflies next:

The first is on Broad Buckler fern:

Sawfly on Broad Buckler fern

And this is one of the Tenthredo sp.:

Tenthredo sp. Sawfly 

The Hoverfly Cheilosia albitarsis is an associate of Creeping Buttercup. The extremely similar (and only very recently segregated) Cheilosia ranunculi is thought to associate with Bulbous Buttercup.

The hoverfly Cheilosia albitarsis

Two shots of very small (6mm) soldier beetles from the Rhagonycha family: 

First, Rhagonycha limbata: 

Rhagonycha limbata

And secondly, Rhagonycha lignosa, which is associated with Hawthorn flowers during the early part of its season, and can be separated from the species above by the all-dark thorax:

Rhagonycha lignosa

Rhagonycha lignosa is a new species for my list.

A couple of weeks ago, I showed one of the pollen-stealing cuckoo bees. This one looks to be another member of the same family: Nomada flava.

The kleptoparasitic cuckoo bee Nomada flava

Rhagonycha section of this page has been updated to correct the identification of Rhagonycha lignosa.

Double delay

After a wonderful April, it has rained every day in May so far, sometimes very heavily. Blogger has also been offline for a few days, so I have a bit of catching up to do.

Worker Bumblebees are very numerous now, although most of the current ones are from the queen's first batch of eggs and are therefore very small. The ones gathering pollen from Raspberry flowers are scarcely larger than a pea:

Worker Bombus lucorum agg.

Hawthorns are in full flower now, and in keeping with the trend this year are bearing many more flowers than usual. Some trees are almost entirely white (and some are almost entirely pink!). The fresh flowers have pink interiors, but that very quickly disappears, leaving a much duller flower:

Hawthorn blossom - "May"

Hawthorn blossom is known as 'May', and is the origin of the northern saying: "Ne'er cast a clout e'er the May is out". Which translates to "Don't divest yourself of warming clothing until the Hawthorn has flowered".

The hoverfly Cheilosia grossa feeds on Thistles as a larva. The larvae can be detected by their effect on the host plant: any thistle that branches from ground level and appears dwarfed can be considered to be potentially 'occupied':

Male Cheilosia grossa

I already showed the first of the Orange Tip butterfly eggs here. The female lays a single egg behind the flower, waiting for the seedpod to develop. She lays only one egg because the larvae are cannibals: any young larva will be consumed by an older one. In the early season, I only ever find a single egg per plant: females detect the presence of an existing egg and will move on to other suitable plants to lay their eggs. At the end of the season, however, all the suitable plants already have eggs and I find what I call the "Let's dump eggs on all the plants in case one might just actually make it" syndrome. This photo shows at least 14 eggs on one plant:

Orange Tip eggs and larva

And top of the class to anyone who spotted the first Orange Tip larva on the seedpod at the front of the picture.

The important thing to realise here is that synchronisation is crucial: if you emerge before the host plant is ready, you will have nowhere to lay your eggs. If you emerge too late, then all the suitable (southwest to south-facing plants on an embankment to catch the sun) plants will already be occupied and your late larvae will have to hope that they don't encounter one of the early occupiers. The window of opportunity is perhaps 14 days. This theme of critical synchronisation occurs time and time again in our wildlife.

The next shot illustrates one of the most stunning aspects of our natural history:

Female Dungfly infected with Entomophthora muscae fungus

The image shows a female Dungfly that has been killed by a fungal infection. The fungus Entomophthora muscae enters the digestive tract and progresses to the abdomen where it multiplies and expands. As it expands, the pink mass begins to break through the abdominal segments as shown above. But now we come to the crucial bit of the exercise: before the fungus kills the fly, it compels the fly to climb towards a high point and then to open her wings. Then it kills her. This combination of high position and open wings affords the maximum opportunity for wind-borne spore distribution for the fungus. So the fungus gains control of the movement of the fly in order to maximise the opportunity for dispersal of its spores.

Four wings good?

I usually associate the first damselflies of the year with fern fronds, because they use them as perches to sun themselves and as launching pads for a leap to catch their prey. This year, however, the ferns are still unfurling and the damsels are having to resort to Bramble for resting on. This is a female Large Red Damselfly:

Female Large Red Damselfly

The standard definition of Diptera, or flies, is that they have only two wings. This is true, but only to a certain extent. Flies do indeed have only two wings in the conventional sense, but they also have two modified wings: the halteres. This shot shows the two halteres - located just behind the large, main wings - of a Cranefly:

Halteres of Cranefly

The halteres vibrate at roughly 45 degrees from the axis of the fly, but at 90 degrees to each other. Due to the coriolis effect, they act as gyroscopes and transmit information about rotation to help the fly to stabilise during manoeuvres. Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, dragonflies and many other insects have 4 wings, but flies generally have more manoeuvering and hovering capability due to their combination of two wings with two halteres.

When I'm looking for moths at night, I often find other insects attracted to the light. This Cockchafer was hanging on my wall last night:

Cockchafer beetle

The Cockchafer has a very interesting lifecycle: the larvae live underground for three or four years, and the adults tend to be seen more frequently in three or four year cycles. There appears to be another cycle of perhaps 30 years, when the beetles are seen in huge numbers. The specimen in the picture above appears to have lost its right antenna.

The micromoth in the next shot has a glorious name: Schreckensteinia festaliella. 

This moth always lands with its middle legs outstretched and pointing upwards. I suppose with all those spikes, it must be the only safe place to put them.

As I have mentioned before (and will doubtless mention again), Pug moths are rather difficult to identify to species. The Foxglove Pug can be separated from the very similar Toadflax Pug by the 'notch' in the outer edge of the dark bar, as indicated by the arrow: 

Foxglove Pug, showing notch in wing bar

Size and timings are also different between the two species, but without a comparison, and given the very early season we're having, we have to act on the clues we are left with.

All new moths

The good weather has encouraged a number of moths to emerge in the past few days, many of them much earlier than we would usually expect to see them. Moths are generally tied to specific plants or plant families, so the basic rule is: the more native plant species you have in your area, then the wider will be the variety of species of moth you will be able to find.

My first new moth for today comes with a little bit of controversy: many moths are bivoltine - they have two generations per year. This is complicated by the fact that some species have two generations in southern areas, but only one generation in northern areas. The Engrailed moth has tentatively been divided into two species - Engrailed and Small Engrailed, largely based around the number of generations in different areas. The picture is currently far from clear, and perhaps we're just part way through the evolution of a new species. Until the matter is resolved, we have to refer to these specimens as Engrailed/Small Engrailed.

Engrailed/ Small Engrailed

Both species feed on a wide range of trees and shrubs.

The Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet can be separated from confusion species by the 'notch' in the front edge of the dark band on the wing. The larvae feed on herbaceous plants such as Dock. 

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

Nut-tree Tussock feeds on broad-leaved trees as a larva:

Nut-tree Tussock

Everyone knows that Swallows fly from Africa to nest here every year. It's fairly well-known that butterflies such as the Painted Lady and Red Admiral can make a similar journey. What is much less well known is that we have micromoths that are also migrant. The Diamondback moth is only about 10mm long, but if the wind is right, then we can find them in good numbers in favourable years. They are too delicate to survive our cold winters, so we can be sure that any we find have made the journey from the Mediterranean area:

Diamondback moth 

I'm waiting for confirmation of the identity of this moth that came to light last night, but I'm fairly confident that it's Glaucus Shears:

Glaucus Shears - tentative identification

This moth is a good example of the effect of habitat: they are only found very near their host plants; Heathers, Bilberry and other heath plants. Also suspected to be migrant.

All of these moths are new to me, so my Species Index has suddenly leapt to 1393 species.