Symph-onic

I've taking more notice of Symphyta than I perhaps would of in the past, to the point of actively looking for them. Here's a few more from Rough Hill earlier in the week.

This one really is Rhogogaster viridis. Nice unicolorous green pterostigma, dark dorsal markings along abdomen, and much larger than the Cytisogaster chambersi I had a few weeks ago.

Tenthredo temula

Black scutellum and thorax, yellow band on tergite 4, sides of tergite 5 and extreme apex of tergite 6. 

And I've got this one to Tenthredo brevicornis

Yellow stripe on the first tergite constricted laterally, yellow bands on the hind edges of tergites 4-6 which broaden laterally, and black basal antennal segments.

Also from the same trip, a new bug for me that I saw sitting right on the edge of an oak leaf at head-height and netted ....

Phylus melanocephalus - which funnily enough has a black head, and lives on oak

Good to see another Rutpela maculata - not that it would play ball for a photo

And several Brown China-marks around the pond - not one I recall seeing dayflying before

This week has been a lot cooler, and a bit damper though we've not in any way had a deluge. The moth trap has not been out since Monday night either, but after a busy few days I'd like to get out and do something. Before the lockdown I bought a pond-dipping net so maybe time to think about using that - I guess a cool overcast day won't make much of a difference.

Meanwhile, nothing makes rave better than a bit of bassoon ....

Cor blimey Mary Poppins ....

... "chim chimney chim chimney chim chim cheroo, a moth in the garden is nice when it's new".

But .... what the hell was this doing in my garden moth trap!

Chimney Sweeper

A quick check on my garden habitat and the surrounding area confirm that there are no quality meadows within sight. Add to that, this is a pronounced day-flying species that rarely (ever?!) comes to light. So imagine my surprise when I saw that this morning and promptly added it to the garden list (673rd moth, 314th macro). Okay it's a bit knackered, not a nice pristine glossy black with shining white apex fringes - but all the salient features are there to see.

There was another potentially exciting species in the trap, not that I knew it when I potted it up. I thought it was a worn Momphid of some sort and almost ignored it, but decided I might as well get it detted. So when I grabbed a couple of quick shots this evening I was surprised to see that I'm actually photographing a gelechiid. I think it is Exotelia dodecella (which will be new for the garden as well) but I'm not confident enough to record it as that at the moment. (post-script - confirmed as Exotelia dodecella by gen. det.)

Exotelia dodecella

And there was yet another odd Acleris sp. - I've now got four for gen det, two large and well marked like this one and two smaller less distinctly marked individuals. (post-script - confirmed as Acleris hastiana by gen. det.)

Acleris hastiana

And here's a few others from last nights trap.

Mompha ochraceella

Brown China-mark

Common Wainscot - hindwings checked as forewings well marked

Huncote Embankment 02/07/2010 - 2 of 3 - Micros

Argyresthia pygmaeella

Anarsia spartiella

Mompha ochraceella

Limnaecia phragmitella

Hedya salicella

Crambus perlella

Crambus perlella f. warringtonellus

Agriphila selasella

Agriphila straminella

Brown China-mark

Phlyctaenia perlucidalis