Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth!

No photo, but just seen one of these in the garden! Well chuffed.

Skye - Warming Up :)

The weather has taken it's own sweet time, but it finally seems to be properly warming up. Spring has arrived.

Having said that, I've hardly been out and about to make the most of it, work and an annoying leg injury have been getting in the way, though the leg has thankfully pretty much sorted itself out again now. Yesterday I spent several hours wandering the woods and even made use of my butterfly net for the second time this year!

Five minutes at a sunlit tree trunk was profitable, I skored my second species of odonata for the square. Not second for the year, second species ever! Still to see the other one in 2018.

Large Red Damselfly - woo-hoo!!!!

I've been making some headway with hoverflies too

Cheilosia illustrata

Eristalis arbustorum

Rhingia campestris - "does my nose look big in this?"

 Portevenia maculata - absolutely miles away from Ramsons à la Ali style (well, maybe 12" away...)

Pedicia rivosa - a smart cranefly that I found in the light trap one morning

But it's not all about flies. Found a log covered in this highly impressive species

Dryad's Saddle - about ten of them on a rotten log. This was the largest specimen.

Aceria macrorhyncha - Sycamore Nail Galls, first I've seen up here despite there being masses of Sycamores on site

I've suddenly accrued a bit of a backlog - forty pots' worth, in fact! Mostly flies, bibionids and hovers forming a fair proportion of them. Good news is that there's no midges as yet. Doubtless I've just jinxed myself by saying that. 

I've hatched a mad plan to hit 750 by end of May. I'm on 677 at the moment, so "just" 73 to go over the next eight days. Ha, not a chance but it'll be interesting to see how far I get. It took me until mid-June to hit 700 last year, so I'm slightly ahead of that. But, as feared, I'm starting to spend more and more time out of my square. I did claw back Red Grouse for my Skye List this afternoon (previously only seen locally on Raasay), sadly it was up a mountain miles away from Uig. 

500 up at Thorne

Ok only a week or six after the rest of you. However very pleased to have recorded 500 species well before the end of May as last year I was only on 488 at the end of June.

Like the rest of you at the 500 mark, I will give a breakdown by groups as follows;
Plants 186, Bryrophytes 17, Fungi 22, Lichen 28, Annelids 5, Crustacea 5, Spiders 8, Molluscs 19, Odonata 5, Orthoptera 2, Hemiptera 7, Butterflies 11, Moths 51, Coleoptera 14, Hymenoptera 25, Diptera 33, Insects (RSO) 3, Fish 1, Amphibians 2, Birds 50 and Mammals 8. Which gives 502 in total.

Photo wise a shot of a very unexpected record of Green Hairstreak at Thorne a week or so ago.
Unexpected on 2 counts. Having recorded the Butterflies there in 2 previous years with no sign of Green Hairstreak anywhere in the local area for 1 to just appear was a surprise and even more surprising, what was it doing in a garden sat quietly on some Cat-mint?!

Black and blue

Been away a bit recently, but a reasonable moth night on May 21st raises hopes that things on that front may start improving soon. A bit of colour in the garden this afternoon.

Wasp Beetle in garden

Azure Damselfly in garden

911	Rhopalus subrufus	Hemipteroids	Rhopalid Bug	21/05/2018
912	Setisquamalonchaea fumosa	Diptera	Lonchaeidae	21/05/2018
913	Necrodes littoralis	Coleoptera	Shore Sexton Beetle	21/05/2018
914	Colostygia pectinataria	Lepidoptera:moths	Green Carpet	21/05/2018
915	Opisthograptis luteolata	Lepidoptera:moths	Brimstone Moth	21/05/2018
916	Apamea sordens	Lepidoptera:moths	Rustic Shoulder-knot	21/05/2018
917	Agrotis exclamationis	Lepidoptera:moths	Heart and Dart	21/05/2018
918	Xestia c-nigrum	Lepidoptera:moths	Setaceous Hebrew Character	21/05/2018
919	Ochropleura plecta	Lepidoptera:moths	Flame Shoulder	21/05/2018
920	Mythimna flammea	Lepidoptera:moths	Flame Wainscot	21/05/2018
921	Phalera bucephala	Lepidoptera:moths	Buff-tip	21/05/2018
922	Plutella xylostella	Lepidoptera:moths	Diamond-backed Moth	21/05/2018
923	Eupithecia assimilata	Lepidoptera:moths	Currant Pug	21/05/2018
924	Apamea crenata	Lepidoptera:moths	Clouded-bordered Brindle	21/05/2018
925	Acasis viretata	Lepidoptera:moths	Yellow-barred Brindle	22/05/2018
926	Clytus arietis	Coleoptera	Wasp Beetle	23/05/2018
927	Coenagrion puella	Odonata	Azure Damselfly	23/05/2018

Dalgety Bay - What's up doc?

Easterly winds forced me to seek the shelter of a woodland clearing yesterday and thank goodness they did! There's a small area where the local countryside trust (dog toilet maintenance dept.) have removed a Rhodedendron bush and a couple of dead trees and left a sunny open space covered with woodchip. It is a dipteran paradise! Shame they removed the logs, but whatever. I could have spent many happy hours in there but sadly only got a lunchtime this time around. However, it was plenty time to bag a few goodies and spend some quality time watching fly interactions through close focus binoculars.

Probably my favourite of the day was the extraordinary dolichopodid Rhaphium monotrichum. As an aside I came across a great Russian site for Dolis here

In other news yesterday photos of a wasp which I had reared from a spider were passed on to a wasp expert who returned an ID within minutes (if not seconds). Fantastic. The specimen will go to live in NMS where the ID will be 100% confirmed.

Now I just need to take a week off and we can wrap this thing up in May ;)

The Clearing of Wonder

Meeeeeh, what's up doc? Rhaphium

Polysphincta tuberosa - spider killing waspiness

Numbers:

811		flowering plant	Vicia hirsuta	Hairy Tare
812		lep-butterfly	Lycaena phlaeas	Small Copper
813		hemiptera	Philaenus spumarius	Cuckoo-Spit Insect
814		diptera	Limonia phragmitidis	Tipuloidea
815		diptera	Graphomya maculata	A muscid fly
816	*	hymenoptera	Polysphincta tuberosa	A wasp
817		diptera	Calliphora vomitoria	Calliphoridae
818	*	flowering plant	Carex canescens	White Sedge
819		spider	Microlinyphia pusilla	A Linyphiid spider
820		lep-moth	Epiblema cirsiana	A micro moth
821	*	diptera	Raphium monotrichum	A long-legged fly
822		diptera	Dolichopus popularis	A long-legged fly
823	*	hemiptera	Macustus grisescens	A leaf hopper
824	*	hymenoptera	Cynips quercusfolii	A gall wasp
825		gall mite	Aceria cephaloneus	A gall mite

Dalgety Bay - a lot less bovver

Amazingly yesterday I found my fourth new hover fly of the month, and a new one for the county in Orthonevra brevicornis. It's one of a number of "wetland" species that have shown up and give me hope for lots of other related goodies through the season.

The click beetle Athous haemorrhoidalis was hanging off seemingly every bush and the third sarcophagid of the year was snagged. Finally a nice Gymnocheta was spotted on a sunny leaf, though my photo left a lot to be desired (too much to show!).

This morning Common Terns finally showed up in the bay and a surprise Small Copper turned up in the sweep net.

Small Copper

Orthonevra brevicornis

Athous haemorrhoidalis

The already-recorded Bibio leucopterus

Numbers:

802		coleoptera	Athous haemorrhoidalis	A Click Beetle
803	*	diptera	Euleia heracleii	A picture-winged fly
804		lep-moth	Elachista argentella	Swan-feather Dwarf
805	*	diptera	Psila merdaria	A fly
806		diptera	Gymnocheta viridis	A tachinid fly
807		diptera	Sarcophaga carnaria	Sarcophagidae
808		diptera	Muscina levida	A muscid fly
809	*	diptera	Orthonevra brevicornis	A hover fly
810		bird	Sterna hirundo	Common Tern
811		flowering plant	Vicia hirsuta	Hairy Tare
812		lep-butterfly	Lycaena phlaeas	Small Copper
813		hemiptera	Philaenus spumarius	Cuckoo-Spit Insect

Dog day afternoon

Pleased to get Cynomya mortuorum in the garden this afternoon, haven't seen many round here and this is the first for the garden. The longhorn beetle Tetrops praeustus is fairly common in Norfolk, but I don't think you get it in Scotland? A few other bits included Royal Fern along one of my brackish dykes. It's fairly common in the sand dunes and willows along the coastal strip, but I wasn't really expecting it in the square. A Reed Warbler was in the garden this morning.

Dog fly of the dead

Tetrops praeustus

894	Eupeodes latifasciatus	Diptera	Syrphidae	18/05/2018
895	Salticus scenicus	Arachnids	Salticidae	18/05/2018
896	Evergestis forficalis	Lepidoptera:moths	Garden Pebble	19/05/2018
897	Lacanobia thalassina	Lepidoptera:moths	Pale-shouldered Brocade	19/05/2018
898 *	Fannia similis	Diptera	Fanniidae	20/05/2018
899	Dolichopus plumipes	Diptera	Dolichopodidae	20/05/2018
900	Festuca arundinacea	Vascular Plants	Tall Fescue	20/05/2018
901	Tachycixius pilosus	Hemipteroids	Lacehopper	20/05/2018
902	Dilophus femoratus	Diptera	Bibionidae	20/05/2018
903	Osmunda regalis	Vascular Plants	Royal Fern	21/05/2018
904	Acrocephalus scirpaceus	Birds	Reed Warbler	21/05/2018
905	Leptophyes punctatissima	Orthopteroids	Speckled Bush-cricket	21/05/2018
906	Ectemnius continuus	Hymenoptera	Crabronidae	21/05/2018
907	Amara plebeja	Coleoptera	Carabidae	21/05/2018
908	Tropidia scita	Diptera	Syrphidae	21/05/2018
909	Tetrops praeustus	Coleoptera	Plum Longhorn Beetle	21/05/2018
910	Cynomya mortuorum	Diptera	Calliphoridae	21/05/2018

Dalgety Bay - 800 up

Another sunny weekend of barbecue and beer didn't get in the way of some very productive solo walks and so 10 days early here we are over the 800 line. If it goes like this the end of May could see 850 which would be a "beyond wildest dreams" scenario. This small area is just uber-productive and the moth trap has finally managed to score up some notches of its own.

Best of the weekend isn't featured here, but is the county first and county third (NBN, usual caveats apply) Limnophora olympiae, which I'll post a link to here when it's up on my fly blog

Tipula oleracea emerged in abundance

Trichosirocalus troglodytes on Ribwort Plantain

Ubiquitous in England and Wales they say

Garden first Pebble Prominent

Adela reamurella, apparently new to me, which is a surprise

Numbers:

771		diptera	Phaonia populi	A muscid fly
772		diptera	Tephritis hyoscyami	Tephritidae
773		fungus	Calocybe gambosa	St.George's Mushroom
774	*	spider	Tetrix denticulata	A spider
775		coleoptera	Trichosirocalus troglodytes	A weevil
776		diptera	Cynomya mortuorum	A blow fly
777		diptera	Tipula oleracea	Tipuloidea
778		diptera	Xylota segnis	Syrphidae
779		flowering plant	Festuca ovina	Sheep's Fescue
780		flowering plant	Lotus corniculatus	Common Bird's-foot-trefoil
781		flowering plant	Ornithogalum angustifolium	Star-of-Bethlehem
782		flowering plant	Rosa rugosa	Japanese Rose
783		flowering plant	Salix caprea	Goat Willow
784		flowering plant	Atriplex prostrata	Spear-leaved Orache
785		lep-moth	Aphomia sociella	Bee Moth
786		lep-moth	Epermenia chaerophyllella	A micro moth
787		lep-moth	Epiphyas postvittana	Light Brown Apple Moth
788		lep-moth	Hadena bicruris	Lychnis
789		lep-moth	Lomographa temerata	Clouded Silver
790		lep-moth	Notodonta ziczac	Pebble Prominent
791		lep-moth	Perizoma affinitata	Rivulet
792	*	diptera	Limnophila olympiae	A muscid fly
793		diptera	Phaonia palpata	A muscid fly
794	*	flowering plant	Alopecurus pratensis	Meadow Foxtail
795		flowering plant	Arrhenatherum elatius	False Oat-grass
796		flowering plant	Lathyrus pratensis	Meadow Vetchling
797		flowering plant	Luzula major	Great Wood-rush
798		flowering plant	Meconopsis cambrica	Welsh Poppy
799	*	lep-moth	Adela reamurella	A micro moth
800		flowering plant	Epilobium hirsutum	Great Willowherb
801		flowering plant	Tanacetum vulgare	Tansy

A few new Symphyta

Three new Symphyta in the last few days, so they're beginning to get going. The battle between beetles and flies seems to be heading the way of diptera, with totals of 173 diptera and 167 coleoptera so far this year. Not many birds or moths recently, but for those who like their Odonata, this was a nice new species for the garden this morning.

Hairy Dragonfly (female)

859 *	Dolerus haematodes	Hymenoptera	Symphyta: Selandriinae: Dolerus	06/05/2018
860	Pyrochroa serraticornis	Coleoptera	Red-headed Cardinal Beetle	15/05/2018
861	Apion frumentarium	Coleoptera	Apionidae	15/05/2018
862	Eutrichapion viciae	Coleoptera	Apionidae	15/05/2018
863	Harpocera thoracica	Hemipteroids	Miridae	15/05/2018
864	Siphona geniculata	Diptera	Tachinidae	15/05/2018
865	Adalia decempunctata	Coleoptera	10-spot Ladybird	15/05/2018
866 *	Rhamphomyia micropyga	Diptera	Empididae	15/05/2018
867	Cheilosia lasiopa	Diptera	Syrphidae	15/05/2018
868	Hilara maura	Diptera	Empidoidea	16/05/2018
869	Cantharis pellucida	Coleoptera	Cantharidae	16/05/2018
870	Fannia lustrator	Diptera	Fanniidae	16/05/2018
871	Stenus flavipes	Coleoptera	Staph.	15/05/2018
872	Rhagonycha limbata	Coleoptera	Cantharidae	17/05/2018
873	Philonthus cognatus	Coleoptera	Staph.	17/05/2018
874	Epirrhoe alternata	Lepidoptera:moths	Common Carpet	17/05/2018
875	Parhelophilus frutetorum	Diptera	Eristalini	17/05/2018
876	Eurithia anthophila	Diptera	Tachinidae	17/05/2018
877 *	Coenosia lacteipennis	Diptera	Muscidae	17/05/2018
878	Eumea linearicornis	Diptera	Tachinidae	17/05/2018
879	Hydrotaea dentipes	Diptera	Muscidae	17/05/2018
880 *	Fannia rondanii	Diptera	Fanniidae	17/05/2018
881	Rumex acetosella	Vascular Plants	Sheep's Sorrel	18/05/2018
882	Agrostis stolonifera	Vascular Plants	Creeping Bent	18/05/2018
883	Aquilegia vulgaris	Vascular Plants	Columbine	18/05/2018
884	Bromus hordeaceus	Vascular Plants	Soft-brome	18/05/2018
885	Bromus sterilis	Vascular Plants	Barren Brome	18/05/2018
886 *	Tenthredo temula	Hymenoptera	Symphyta	18/05/2018
887	Cassida rubiginosa	Coleoptera	Thistle Tortoise Beetle	18/05/2018
888	Hercostomus cupreus	Diptera	Dolichopodidae	18/05/2018
889	Panorpa germanica	RSO	Scorpion Fly	18/05/2018
890 *	Pamphilius sylvaticus	Hymenoptera	Symphyta	18/05/2018
891	Enallagma cyathigerum	Odonata	Common Blue Damselfly	18/05/2018
892	Cornus sanguinea	Vascular Plants	Dogwood	18/05/2018
893	Carpinus betulus	Vascular Plants	Hornbeam	18/05/2018

Dalgety Bay - Sarc-asm

So maybe someone will remember this lovely duo - a Pipunculid and an intriguing small calypterate taken not only on the same day but in the same sweep. I had reservations about the initial tachinid determination of the calypterate and when I whipped out its bits I was pretty convinced it was a sarcophagid. Turns out to be true, and what a tiny sarcophagid it is! I'm used to them being enormous - usually the biggest flies in any batch and longer easily than both these placed end to end. Maybe I can post a side-by-side later.

Anyway, finally I cleared the decks enough yesterday to determine that it's Pierretia nigriventris, which I thought was new for county until I checked NBN this morning. It wasn't in the Nature of Fife 2006 county list though so it's new-ish! It has a curious distribution on NBN, which seems to include about 75% of coastal squares in Wales!

Everything else is more-or-less routine apart from a new hover for me in the shape of Neoascia tenur (which may turn out to be N.meticulosa ... but still new in both cases!)

Numbers:

754		lep-moth	Eupithecia vulgata	Common Pug
755		lep-moth	Odontopera bidentata	Scalloped Hazel
756		lep-moth	Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth
757		lep-moth	Xanthorhoe designata	Flame Carpet
758		diptera	Helophilus pendulus	A hover fly
759		diptera	Sarcophaga subvicina	A flesh fly
760	*	diptera	Neoascia tenur	A hover fly
761		diptera	Lucilia caesar	A blow fly
762		lep-moth	Nola confusalis	Least Black Arches
763		lep-moth	Incurvaria masculella	Feathered Diamond-back
764		diptera	Delia platura	A flower fly
765		diptera	Merodon equestris	A hover fly
766		flowering plant	Calystegia sepium	Hedge Bindweed
767		lep-moth	Endrosis sarcitrella	White-shouldered House-moth
768		diptera	Fannia similis	A lesser house fly
769		diptera	Myathropa florea	A flower fly
770		fungus	Calocybe gambosa	St.George's Mushroom