TM2499 Shotesham

Plodding on. Weather continues to be disappointing so decided I needed to look at these grasses that are popping up everywhere. Have done a few of the very common ones, but more very common ones still remain to be sorted. Weekend very disappointing really - didn't see the sun through the clouds on either day and temperature peaked at 13 deg today. It's not making it easy. Still, pleasing progress with less than 300 to go now!

Late updates

663 - Prasocuris junci (Brooklime Leaf Beetle) - Swept from brooklime so had suspected this; now have the key so confirmed (25th May)
664 - Priocnemis perturbator - My first ever spider-hunting wasp, keyed out OK (26th May)
665 - Eupithecia subfuscata (Grey Pug) - Trap (30th May)
666 - Dysdera crocata - Spider found under bark of a tree we cut down in the garden (1st Jun)
667 - Xysticus ulmi - Spider keyed on shape of palps, although seeking second opinion and possibly may have to change to X. lanio (2nd Jun)
668 - Andrena labiata - Small bees with red abdomens, officially rather scarce but apparently fairly widespread around here (2nd Jun)

Monday 3rd June

669 - Elytrigia repens (Common Couch) - Finally got my act together and started to remind myself which grasses were which
670 - Geranium lucidum (Shining Cranesbill) - Small patch growing near a bridge, away from houses - bit of a surprise
671 - Musca domestica (Common House-fly) - Rather a lot of house-flies in the kitchen but I'd never keyed one out til now - so a rather overdue lifer!

Tuesday 4th June

672 - Trifolium repens (White Clover) - In flower
673 - Festuca arundinacea (Tall Fescue) - Along roadsides
674 - Lacanobia w-latinum (Light Brocade) - Trap
675 - Eupithecia centaureata (Lime-speck Pug) - Trap
676 - Hyloicus pinastri (Pine Hawk-moth) - Trap
677 - Biston betularia (Peppered Moth) - Trap
678 - Sphinx ligustri (Privet Hawk-moth) - Trap
679 - Spilosoma luteum (Buff Ermine) - Trap

Wednesday 5th June

680 - Poa trivialis (Rough Meadow-grass) - Very common once I'd revised what to look for
681 - Veronica montana (Wood Speedwell) - Identified on stem hair characteristics, but a bit unconvinced re lack of leaf-stems; this might yet be coming back off the list…
682 - Centaurea montana (Perennial Cornflower) - Escaped example in bottom of a hedge, opposite some houses
683 - Hesperis matronalis (Dame's Violet) - A few in flower on the edge of the common
684 - Mythimna albipuncta (White-point) - Trap
685 - Oligia strigilis (Marbled Minor) - Gen det of a classic individual in the trap

Thursday 6th June

686 - Euonymus europaeus (Spindle) - After stressing over tickability of some in an obviously planted hedge, found some far more acceptable bits elsewhere.
687 - Lolium perenne (Perennial Rye-grass) - Another from the grass revision-class
688 - Urtica urens (Small Nettle) - In flower now on muck-heap, thanks to John M for the tip
689 - Tamus communis (Black Bryony) - Re-identified the black bindweed of a few weeks ago as this - oops.
690 - Eriophyes tiliae - Long red galls in lime leaves - found a mite in one eventually but difficult (still failing to see mites in pimple galls of Aceria aceriscampestris in Field Maple leaves!)
691 - Parna apicalis - Occupied leaf-mine in lime leaf; mine and larva look spot on for this, apparently a recent UK colonist.
692 - Eupithecia assimilata (Currant Pug) - Trap
693 - Triaxomera parasitella - Trap

Friday 7th June

694 - Cosmorhoe ocellata (Purple Bar) - Trap
695 - Xanthorhoe montanata (Silver-ground Carpet) - Trap
696 - Apamea anceps (Large Nutmeg) - Trap
697 - Furcula furcula (Sallow Kitten) - Trap
698 - Eupithecia dodoneata (Oak-tree Pug) - Trap
699 - Eupithecia exiguata (Mottled Pug) - Trap

Saturday 8th June

700 - Cantharis figurata - Small soldier-beetle by the pond; sensory pits on antennal segments noted
701 - Beris vallata (Common Orange Legionnaire) - Seem to have replaced the Scarce Orange Legionnaires of a few weeks back; these have dark hind tibiae
702 - Athous haemorrhoidalis - Common click beetle from nettles, finally keyed
703 - Alabonia geoffrella - Stunning micromoth along hedgerows, always one of my favourites
704 - Syritta pipiens - Hoverfly
705 - Caloptilia syringella - Cracking little moth on an ash leaf, much more attractive than the mines that will follow
706 - Neuroterus quercusbaccarum - Fresh galls of the sexual generation of this tiny wasp, on oak leaves. Opened up to look for grubs, which found, but also found an emerging wasp inside one - result!
707 - Holcus lanatus (Yorkshire-fog) - Another grass-for-beginners
708 - Leptophyes punctatissima (Speckled Bush-cricket) - Swept in the garden, another thing that seems rather late this year
709 - Papaver rhoeas (Common Poppy) - In flower
710 - Stachys sylvatica (Hedge Woundwort) - In flower
711 - Rusina ferruginea (Brown Rustic) - Trap
712 - Xestia c-nigrum (Setaceous Hebrew Character) - Trap

Sunday 9th June

713 - Puccinia vincae - Purple blobs on the back of Greater Periwinkle leaf in the garden; still haven't found tickable Greater Perinwinkle…
714 - Arctium lappa (Greater Burdock) - Huge leaves, solid stems
715 - Cirsium palustre (Marsh Thistle) - In flower
716 - Alisma plantago-aquatica (Water-plantain) - Fresh leaves emerging from the stream
717 - Cynosurus cristatus (Crested Dogstail) - Easy grass for once

Sneaky tick in the bottom of a hedge - Perennial Cornflower

Currant gall of the wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum

Water-plantain and lots more - I suspect there's probably an additional 283 species in this photo (or under the water) if I really knew what I was doing...