Another new hover

Seems just lately that very hoverfly I pot up to scrutinise is a new one for me - buying Stubbs at the Birdfair last year is really paying off!

Dasysyrphus venustus

Meanwhile, the burgeoning hawthorn hedgerow means lots of new larval life

- though not sure which tortrix this will turn out to be ....

Various Bits from 10/05/2013

Here's a few shots of various bits I swept, netted or beat out yesterday late afternoon from around my square:

Triplax aenea

Apple Fruit Rhynchites

Cheilosia albitarsis

Spear Thistle Lacebug

Large Red Damselfly

Xysticus cristatus

Wireworm Click Beetle

Common Leaf Weevil

Spotted Cranefly

Empis trigramma

Bibio lanigerus

Nettle Weevil

Diverse

Just lately the weather has been glorious, sunny and warm in the day - and pretty damn chilly overnight. Garden mothing has therefore been pants with only one new species for the year over the last three nights, a Purple Thorn last night.

03/05/2013
Total catch 3 of 2sp.
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  1
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  2

04/05/2013
Total catch 10 of 5sp.
2182  Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda)  1
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  1
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  2
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  4
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  2

05/05/2013
Total catch 10 of 8sp.
0688  Agonopterix heracliana  1
1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  1
1917  Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)  1
1919  Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria)  1 (NFY)
1927  Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria)  1
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  1
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  3
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  1

The only other moth I've seen in the garden was a Wormwood Pug flying in the late afternoon on 3rd.

Normally I'd be a bit deflated by this rubbish state of affairs, and even more disgruntled at not having had a chance to head over to either Melton Mowbray to tick a tame bread-eating Ring-billed Gull or to Thornton Res to gawp at a Grey-headed Wagtail. In truth the lack of birding has not been entirely down to lack of opportunity, as when I have had a bit of time I've been concentrating on my 1000 in 1kmsq challenge - and that I have to say is going pretty well.

A reminder that my overall list is posted here, and have a look at the main challenge blog for some recent photos and highlights.

Scarce Fungus Weevil - found one on 01/05/2013, and another four yesterday including this one sat on top of a Cramp Ball that it probably emerged from.

Eudasyphora cyanella

14-Spot Ladybirds making more 14-Spot Ladybirds

Eyeballs

Spent most of this morning nursing an alcohol-induced headache, and eventually got up to empty the garden moth traps around midday. I may aswell of stayed in bed as they were virtually empty - not sure if that's due to losing most of the catch or it just being pants. The traps are on again tonight but look pretty dead so far.

Most of this afternoon was a bit of a let down weather-wise, and in any case I was glued to the radio and internet keeping track on the Championship finale. Superb result for Leicester City, beating Forest away was always going to be a nice end to the season but sneaking into the play-offs at the same time was particularly sweet.

Nothing much in the garden whenever I nipped out, apart from this Nursery Web Spider that I couldn't resist using for another another eyeball shot.

Boo!

Garden Bees and Bee-alikes

A few shots from the garden over the last couple of days or so - most carrying a load of pollen around on their bodies:

Tree Bumblebee

Eristalis intricarius

Tawny Mining-bee

Bee Fly

Vestal Cuckoo Bee

Eristalis pertinax