Headed straight for the blackthorns where I had caught and then lost a lovely tachinid yesterday, which I'm pretty certain was Paracraspedothrix montivaga, a species I have recorded in the square last year. Anyway ... First to catch my eye were Peacock butterflies chasing up and down the upper shore, before I spotted an all dark large hoverfly on the strandline. Could it be?
A swing ... and a miss. Fly escapes. Next it, or another of the same, shows up on a blackthorn flower but in a tricky spot. A swing ... and a miss. Aaaaargh!
Suddenly from the strandline a large beetle burst onto the wing and I thought I was in for my first carrion beetle of the year. But no! What the bejeesus is this?! A fantastic Creophilus maxillosus, a big furry staph of similar magnitude to the Devil's Coach Horse only all fancy-likes with a fur coat. What a beauty! This is a quick record shot and the distribution map for the species as per NBN (I happen to know it HAS been recorded in Fife). In case you don't know where I am, it's just above Edinburgh in that vast white record desert ;)
After a ten minute stalk I did manage to catch not one but two Eristalins aeneus, first for mainland Fife and a fly I've been longing to see for a long time. For completeness the pic and map for that species too.
Latest numbers:
| 475 | Phaonia subventa | A muscid fly |
| 476 | Melanostoma mellinum | A hoverfly |
| 477 | Phylloscopus trochila | Willow Warbler |
| 478 | Eristalinus aeneus | A hoverfly |
| 479 | Creophilus maxillosus | Carrion Beetle |
Cool hoverfly, will have to keep an eye out for that one. Love the beetle too, great find.
ReplyDeleteNot seen Creophilus maxillosus for a good while, last one found in a dead horse. Perhaps i need to start baiting up my local heath with some road kill. :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely plan to see if I can bait some stuff in during the summer. Have to site it where it won't get tidied up though!
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