Tuesday, July 31, 2018

We've had some rain!

Feeling rather autumnal, the birds certainly think so, with a big passage of Swifts, dispersing Gropper and Stonechats, a flyover Spotted Redshank, a couple of Med Gulls and up to 6 Green Sands and 13 Whimbrel in the last couple of days. Still lots of new moths and other insects, plus a bonus Adder and a couple of pseudoscorpions from the garden.

Not a million miles away from 1700 now, should get there within a week I should think. Looks like moths are doing rather better this year than I thought they might, with 401 species already recorded, still very few migrant moths though. A quick year end estimation suggests that 1900 species should be on the cards, but 2000 might be difficult. Could depend on how many new diptera are sitting in the freezer awaiting identification.

A few random photos:

Evergestis extimilis, a migrant/wandered from elsewhere

Acrobasis suavella (Thicket Longhorn), a lifer

Aleiodes praetor, a rare braconid wasp

Stictoleptura rubra, a longhorn beetle, in the garden


1555 Macrochilo cribrumalis Lepidoptera:moths Dotted Fan-foot
1556 Aphodius rufipes Coleoptera Scarabaeidae
1557 Amphipyra pyramidea Lepidoptera:moths Copper Underwing
1558 Oncopsis tristis Hemipteroids Cicadellidae
1559 Achanthiptera rohrelliformis Diptera Muscidae
1560 Cercospora depazeoides Fungi Fungus on Sambucus nigra
1561 Andrena dorsata Hymenoptera Andrenidae: Short-fringed Mining Bee
1562 Tenthredo arcuata Hymenoptera Symphyta
1563 Lymantria monacha Lepidoptera:moths Black Arches
1564 Cerapteryx graminis Lepidoptera:moths Antler Moth
1565 Scoliopteryx libatrix Lepidoptera:moths The Herald
1566 Eupteryx aurata Hemipteroids Potato Leafhopper
1567 Colymbetes fuscus Coleoptera Dytiscidae
1568 Udea prunalis Lepidoptera:moths Dusky Pearl
1569 Eudemis profundana Lepidoptera:moths Diamond-back Marble
1570 Agrotis segetum Lepidoptera:moths Turnip Moth
1571 Idaea ochrata Lepidoptera:moths Least Carpet
1572 Acentria ephemerella Lepidoptera:moths Water Veneer
1573 Stratiomys singularior Diptera Flecked General
1574 Hylaeus pectoralis Hymenoptera Reed Yellow-face Bee
1575 Pyrrhula pyrrhula Birds Bullfinch
1576 Crabro peltarius Hymenoptera Crabronidae
1577 Chrysops viduatus Diptera Square-spot Deerfly
1578 Trichrysis cyanea Hymenoptera Chrysididae
1579 Noctua interjecta Lepidoptera:moths Least Yellow Underwing
1580 Noctua janthe Lepidoptera:moths Lr Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
1581 Orgyia antiqua Lepidoptera:moths Vapourer
1582 Ipimorpha subtusa Lepidoptera:moths The Olive
1583 Agriphila latistria Lepidoptera:moths White-streak Grass-veneer
1584 Mesoligia literosa Lepidoptera:moths Rosy Minor
1585 Hadena bicruris Lepidoptera:moths The Lychnis
1586 Cladius pectinicornis Hymenoptera Symphyta: Tenthredinidae
1587 Amara apricaria Coleoptera Carabidae
1588 Trichopalpus fraternus Diptera Scathophagidae
1589 Orthotylus marginalis Hemipteroids Mirid Bug
1590 Cichorium intybus Vascular Plants Chicory
1591 Stachys palustris Vascular Plants Marsh Woundwort
1592 Badister dilatatus Coleoptera Carabidae
1593 Pelina aenea Diptera Ephydridae
1594 Rhagio lineola Diptera Small Fleck-winged Snipefly
1595 Palloptera ustulata Diptera Pallopteridae
1596 Heriades truncorum Hymenoptera Megachilidae
1597 Craniophora ligustri Lepidoptera:moths The Coronet
1598 Aleiodes praetor Hymenoptera Braconidae
1599 Andricus fecundator Hymenoptera Artichoke Gall
1600 Capsus ater Hemipteroids Miridae
1601 Opsius stactogalus Hemipteroids Cicadellidae
1602 Campyloneura virgula Hemipteroids Mirid Bug
1603 Balclutha punctata Hemipteroids Cicadellidae
1604 Sphecodes puncticeps Hymenoptera Sickle-jawed Blood Bee
1605 Stictoleptura rubra Coleoptera Red Longhorn Beetle
1606 Anthocomus rufus Coleoptera Malachiidae
1607 Borkhausenia fuscescens Lepidoptera:moths Small Dingy Tubic
1608 Phyllotreta nemorum Coleoptera Chrysomelidae
1609 Ennomos alniaria Lepidoptera:moths Canary-shouldered Thorn
1610 Catoptria falsella Lepidoptera:moths Chequered Grass-veneer
1611 Amphipyra tragopoginis Lepidoptera:moths Mouse Moth
1612 Lozotaeniodes formosanus Lepidoptera:moths Orange Pine Tortrix
1613 Xanthorhoe spadicearia Lepidoptera:moths Red Twin-spot Carpet
1614 Coenobia rufa Lepidoptera:moths Small Rufous
1615 Acrobasis suavella Lepidoptera:moths Thicket Knot-horn
1616 Tenthredo omissa Hymenoptera Symphyta
1617 Agrypnia varia RSO Caddisfly
1618 Liriomyza amoena Diptera Agromyzidae - leaf mine on Elder
1619 Ichneumon sarcitorius Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae
1620 Phasia hemiptera Diptera Tachinidae
1621 Pales pavida Diptera Tachinidae
1622 Phryxe vulgaris Diptera Tachinidae
1623 Evergestis extimalis Lepidoptera:moths Marbled Yellow Pearl
1624 Hadena rivularis Lepidoptera:moths The Campion
1625 Aspilapteryx tringipennella Lepidoptera:moths Ribwort Slender
1626 Oncotylus viridiflavus Hemipteroids Mirid Bug
1627 Myzus cerasi Hemipteroids Black cherry aphid
1628 Locustella naevia Birds Grasshopper Warbler
1629 Eriophyes inangulis Arachnids Gall mite on Alder
1630 Eriophyes macrorhynchus Arachnids Gall mite on Sycamore
1631 Stenodema laevigata Hemipteroids Miridae
1632 Cnephasia stephensiana Lepidoptera:moths Grey Tortrix
1633 Eudonia mercurella Lepidoptera:moths Small Grey
1634 Idaea biselata Lepidoptera:moths Small Fan-footed Wave
1635 Pterostoma palpina Lepidoptera:moths Pale Prominent
1636 Scopula immutata Lepidoptera:moths Lesser Cream Wave
1637 Fallopia convolvulus Vascular Plants Black Bindweed
1638 Phyllotreta undulata Coleoptera Chrysomelidae
1639 Acleris aspersana Lepidoptera:moths Ginger Button
1640 Archanara dissoluta Lepidoptera:moths Brown-veined Wainscot
1641 Brassica napus Vascular Plants Rape
1642 Triticum aestivum Vascular Plants Bread Wheat
1643 Chthonius ischnocheles Arachnids Pseudoscorpion: Common Cthonid
1644 Larus melanocephalus Birds Mediterranean Gull
1645 Tringa erythropus Birds Spotted Redshank
1646 Urophora cardui Diptera Tephritidae
1647 Conyza canadensis Vascular Plants Canadian Fleabane
1648 Ranunculus acris Vascular Plants Meadow Buttercup
1649 Atriplex patula Vascular Plants Common Orache
1650 Carcina quercana Lepidoptera:moths Long-horned Flat-body
1651 Cyclophora punctaria Lepidoptera:moths Maiden's Blush
1652 Hydraecia micacea Lepidoptera:moths Rosy Rustic
1653 Archanara sparganii Lepidoptera:moths Webb's Wainscot
1654 Cataclysta lemnata Lepidoptera:moths Small China-mark
1655 Dikraneura variata Hemipteroids Leafhopper
1656 Vipera berus Reptiles Adder
1657 Netelia virgata Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae
1658 Dolichopus festivus Diptera Dolichopodidae
1659 Crabro cribrarius Hymenoptera Crabronidae
1660 Nyctia halterata Diptera Sarcophagidae

Dalgety Bay

Slow progress with not much effort being put in. Once I've got the school holidays/holiday season behind me I hope to kick on a bit. Still a few things here and there and my fish total finally matched last year's.



Numbers:
1105 diptera Scaeva pyrastri A hover fly
1106 fish Myoxocephalus scorpius Bull Rout
1107 hemiptera Eupteryx urticae A bug on nettles
1108 lep-butterfly Aglais urticae Small Tortoiseshell
1109 * lep-moth Catoptria falsella A micro moth
1110 lep-moth Triodia sylvina Orange Swift
1111 lep-moth Agriphila tristella A micro moth
1112 lep-moth Hydriomena furcata July Highflyer
1113 fungus Marasmius rotula  Collared parachute
1114 diptera Eristalis nemoralis A hover fly

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Dalgety Bay - brief update

Things ticking along imperceptibly slowly here. A couple of days of cycling to work mean no morning or lunchtime site visits and I've barely caught a fly for a month. My mind has turned to things botanical, and some of that as been off-square, though I've made it over 200 for flowering plants at least. now I just need to go back and do that for last year's square before the new atlas data is in!

There are Cinnabar caterpillars all over the place - found them in two new squares at my work and at another random spot I went to last night to look for waders (well, another patch - maybe next years?). Everywhere except in my square it would seem.

Here's one, just to pretty up the post a bit.


Major edit:
Since writing the above I noticed that one of the updates is Boxworm which is new to county and possibly new to Scotland. Maybe not the most popular addition but it is noteworthy at least! (and also quite pretty)



Numbers:
1080 flowering plant Tripolium pannonicum Sea Aster
1081 diptera Eristalinus aeneus Syrphidae
1082 diptera Eriothrix rufomaculata Tachinidae
1083 bird Delichon urbicum House Martin
1084 lep-butterfly Pieris rapae Small White
1085 flowering plant Suaeda maritima  Annual Sea-blite
1086 * flowering plant Honckenya peploides Sea Sandwort
1087 bird Apus apus Swift
1088 flowering plant Brassica napus ssp. Oleifera Oil-seed Rape
1089 lep-moth Chloroclystis v-ata V-Pug
1090 * lep-moth Cydalima perspectalis Box-tree Moth
1091 lep-moth Xestia baja Dotted Clay
1092 lep-moth Mesapamea secalis Common Rustic
1093 lep-moth Pleuroptya ruralis Mother of Pearl
1094 hemiptera Phytocoris tiliae A mirid bug
1095 lep-moth Acronicta psi Grey Dagger
1096 coleoptera Coccinella septempunctata 7-spot Ladybird
1097 diptera Anomoia purmunda Tephritidae
1098 diptera Trypeta immaculata Tephritidae
1099 * diptera Sphegina clunipes A hover fly
1100 flowering plant Salicornia europaea Common Glasswort
1101 * flowering plant Puccinellia maritima Common Saltmarsh Grass
1102 mollusc Arion ater A slug
1103 lep-moth Autographa jota Plain Golden Y
1104 lep-moth Mesotype didymata Twin-spot Carpet

Monday, July 23, 2018

Heat is taking its toll...

It's been a funny old year, with bitter cold in late February/early March, a late and wet spring but since then it's been largely dry and increasingly hot, such that everything round here (and in much of southern England) has turned brown. It's heading towards 30° today, which may not sound that hot, but we usually get cooling sea breezes here, so it's hot for us! I get the impression that insect activity has reduced recently, but certainly my activity has decreased, so not a huge amount of new stuff.

A Hobby has just charged through the garden chasing hirundines, hymenoptera have just reached 100 species for the year and one or two nice flies have been seen. Moths have been doing reasonably well, up to 370 species for the year, but migrants have been thin on the ground.

Stratiomys singularior ♀ (Flecked General soldierfly)

Achanthiptera rohrelliformis ♀

Nomada fucata



Thursday, July 19, 2018

Dalgety bay - Silver Darlings

Braw
An interesting evening kicked off yesterday when my missus asked me to take some rubbish out to the bin. As I went a Whimbrel flew SW over the garden, calling and obviously keen that I didn't miss out on it.

Enchanter's Nightshade

I headed out for a walk around the bay, knowing that since I'd been away for over a week three was bound to be something new. First up was Enchanter's Nightshade in the woods behind the house, before arriving at the sailing club at high tide to find massive shoals of small fish all around the bay. Tens of thousands of them with the occasional breach of the surface and some silver sides evident as individuals twisted and turned. I decided to go home for a net! First though I ran up Erysiphe on Heracleum and a nice flowering patch of Field Bindweed between parked yachts and the bay. Here's a video of a small shoal breaking the water surface.


After a brief loop I headed home and grabbed a net and bucket from the garage. That was the easy part!

Back at the harbour the water was dropping and I tried the slow approach. They swam away slowly. I tried the fast approach. They swam away really fast. Finally I went for the gannet/tern approach and smashed the net into the water from a height - bingo!

Four specimens were secured. Back at the lab the dorsal fin originated clearly before the ventrals and the eye was pretty big, which seem to separate it reliably from the only other option I could see, which was Sprat. Though I've seen and eaten a fair few, this was the first herring I remember seeing alive.


When I was growing up my dad used to wear a hand-knitted arran sweater and had a huge beard. With my uncle and aunt they used to sing folk songs with a guitar in the back garden, and I still remember some of them. We also used to listen to stuff like this in the car on journeys, though I remember a faster version that I liked better than this (by the Spinners, maybe).



Numbers:
1059 * flowering plant Mahonia aquifolium Oregon Grape
1060 flowering plant Polygonum aviculare  Knotgrass
1061 lep-moth Udea prunalis A pyralid moth
1062 coleoptera Aphodius rufipes A dung beetle
1063 lep-moth Diachrysia chrysitis Burnished Brass
1064 lep-moth Hylaea fasciaria Barred Red
1065 lep-moth Cosmia trapezina The Dun-bar
1066 lep-moth Apamea scolopacina Slender Brindle
1067 lep-moth Noctua janthe LBBY Underwing
1068 lep-moth Ochropacha duplaris Common Lutestring
1069 * lep-moth Caloptria margaritella Silver-stripe Grass Veneer
1070 lep-moth Acleris forsskaleana A micro moth
1071 lep-moth Eudonia lacustrata A micro moth
1072 lep-moth Autographa gamma Silver Y
1073 flowering plant Malva moschata Musk Mallow
1074 * flowering plant Campanula persicifolia Peach-leaved Bellflower
1075 * flowering plant Circaea lutetiana Enchanter's Nightshade
1076 * flowering plant Convolvulus arvensis Field Bindweed
1077 * fish Clupea harengus Herring
1078 fungus Erisyphe heraclei A fungus
1079 bird Numenius phaeopus Whimbrel

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Still more moths...

A few more nice moths over the last few days, although very little moth immigration going on. Really pleased to see Silver Hook in the garden, only the second one I'ver seen and one of my favorite moths. A few fen/shore specialists also turning up now, including Small Dotted Footman and Dotted Footman, both Red Data Book species and a rare combination except in the Broads. And a whopping great nocturnal ichneumon wasp, Stauropoctonus bombycivorus, one for Seth to enjoy. And a Crossbill in the garden, so the garden list for the year is now 1195.

Silver Hook

Small Dotted Footman and Dotted Footman

Stauropoctonus bombycivorus female
1503 Discestra trifolii Lepidoptera:moths The Nutmeg
1504 Perizoma didymata Lepidoptera:moths Twin-spot Carpet
1505 Diarsia brunnea Lepidoptera:moths Purple Clay
1506 Chloroclystis v-ata Lepidoptera:moths V-Pug
1507 Idaea emarginata Lepidoptera:moths Small Scallop
1508 Aethes rubigana Lepidoptera:moths Burdock Conch
1509 Loxia curvirostra Birds Common Crossbill
1510 Anotylus sculpturatus Coleoptera Staph.
1511 Nysson trimaculatus Hymenoptera Solitary Wasp
1512 Acrobasis repandana Lepidoptera:moths Warted Knot-horn
1513 Arctia caja Lepidoptera:moths Garden Tiger
1514 Anania perlucidalis Lepidoptera:moths Fenland Pearl
1515 Dichrorampha petiverella Lepidoptera:moths Common Drill
1516 Deltote uncula Lepidoptera:moths Silver Hook
1517 Acleris variegana Lepidoptera:moths Garden Rose Tortrix
1518 Mythimna litoralis Lepidoptera:moths Shore Wainscot
1519 Mythimna conigera Lepidoptera:moths Brown-line Bright-eye
1520 Lasiocampa quercus Lepidoptera:moths Oak Eggar
1521 Amphipoea oculea Lepidoptera:moths Ear Moth agg.
1522 Scotopteryx chenopodiata Lepidoptera:moths Shaded Broad-bar
1523 Solanum dulcamara Vascular Plants Bittersweet
1524 Torilis japonica Vascular Plants Upright Hedge Parsley
1525 Sonchus palustris Vascular Plants Marsh Sow-thistle
1526 Nowickia ferox Diptera Tachinidae
1527 Athalia rosae Hymenoptera Symphyta: Turnip Sawfly
1528 Pimpla rufipes Hymenoptera Pimplidae
1529 * Epicampocera succincta Diptera Tachinidae
1530 Spilonota ocellana Lepidoptera:moths Bud Moth
1531 Falcaria lacertinaria Lepidoptera:moths Scalloped Hook-tip
1532 Galleria mellonella Lepidoptera:moths Wax Moth
1533 Euxoa tritici Lepidoptera:moths White-line Dart
1534 Pelosia obtusa Lepidoptera:moths Small Dotted Footman
1535 Nymphula nitidulata Lepidoptera:moths Beautiful China-mark
1536 Parastichtis ypsillon Lepidoptera:moths Dingy Shears
1537 Stauropoctonus bombycivorus Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae
1538 Absyrtus vernalis Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae
1539 Sciara hemerobioides Diptera Sciaridae
1540 Phaonia pallida Diptera Muscidae
1541 Nomada fucata Hymenoptera Painted Nomad Bee
1542 Pediasia contaminella Lepidoptera:moths Waste Grass-veneer
1543 * Opostega salaciella Lepidoptera:moths Sorrel Bent-wing
1544 Aphodius rufus Coleoptera Scarabaeidae
1545 Orthops campestris Hemipteroids Mirid Bug
1546 Hesperocorixa linnaei Hemipteroids Water Boatman sp.
1547 Acrobasis consociella Lepidoptera:moths Broad-barred Knot-horn
1548 Euzophera pinguis Lepidoptera:moths Ash-bark Knot-horn
1549 Micromus variegatus RSO Brown Lacewing
1550 Neocrepidodera transversa Coleoptera Chrysomelidae
1551 Phytocoris varipes Hemipteroids Miridae
1552 Conomelus anceps Hemipteroids Auchenorrhyncha
1553 Ceratapion gibbirostre Coleoptera Apionidae
1554 Halyzia sedecimguttata Coleoptera Orange Ladybird


Monday, July 16, 2018

Dalgety bay - Oh, you pretty thing

Back from a refreshing trip to even sunnier and even hotter climes, here's a brief update of stuff wot I failed to update on pre-departure

I have removed Equisetum palustre from the list because when I went back and grilled it properly I decided it was E.arvense. Shame, that. Still, won't be the last, I'm sure.



Also, here's one from Skye that I fed into my workstream - the hairy-faced Dolichopus nubilus from Uig Bay 24/06/2018. A proper list must be in order at some point.



Numbers:
1041 fungus Erysiphe alphitoides Oak Powdery Mildew
1042 fungus Pucciania poarum Coltsfoot rust
1043 flowering plant Crepis capillaris Smooth Hawk's-beard
1044 flowering plant Fumaria muralis Common Ramping-fumitory
1045 fern Equisetum arvense Field Horsetail
1046 spider Theridion pallens A Comb-footed Spider
1047 diptera Beris vallata A Soldier Fly
1048 diptera Microchrysa cyaneiventris A Soldier Fly
1049 lep-butterfly Aphantopus hyperantus Ringlet
1050 lep-moth Blastobasis adustella A micromoth
1051 lep-moth Mythimna impura Smoky Wainscot
1052 lep-moth Ourapteryx sambucaria Swallow-tailed Moth
1053 lep-moth Pasiphila rectangulata Green Pug
1054 lep-moth Tinea semifulvella A micro moth
1055 lep-moth Udea olivalis A crambid moth
1056 lep-moth Eulithis prunata Phoenix
1057 lep-moth Evergestis forficalis Garden Pebble
1058 harvestman Megabunus diadema A harvestman