Friday 29 May 2015

Bonus hoverfly - Rhingia campestris

One of the most visible flies on the reserve so far this year, the distinctive hoverfly Rhingia campestris. I've seen it on almost every flowering plant so far, with this one coming from Red Campion


Moths and plants

Had a nice quick session at the moths last night: Common Wave, Water Carpet, first Silver-ground Carpet, a pug and a micro. This morning on a cold start I wasn't expecting much but managed to round out some of the early plants in the "expected" category.

Total stands at 432 for the year, so still about 50 ahead of last year's totals for the same date

Bush Vetch

Hogweed

Broad-leaved Dock
 
Cut-leaved Crane's-bill

Redshank

Wood Avens

Aspen

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Cranefly Pedicia rivosa

Found on the spillway horsetails this cracking big cranefly was identified via Dipterists Forum




Tuesday 26 May 2015

Weekend Orange tip


Moth night - 23rd May

A good night for mothing with cloud covering after a sunny day and keeping the air warmish. We ran four traps- three MV Robinsons and a heath trap. A couple of new species for the reserve and one for me.

Brown Silver-lines were abundant

Yellow-barred brindle from Holly flowers

Flame Shoulder at the filter beds

Small Phoenix at the filter beds
 
Clouded Silver

One of two Lunar Thorns

A nice one - Elephant Hawk Moth

Common White Wave

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Baccha at-long-last elongata

After finding my first at Carlingnose I went looking for this in woodland today and came up triumphant. Once I got my eye I found a few in amongst the low vegetation. Not the best picture, but it will do for me and I let the fly go. Hoverfly species 47 for Cullaloe


Monday 18 May 2015

Guest slot - Mossmorran

So I have been poking around a bit in the heather at Mossmorran, just outside of the picturesque hamlet of  Cowdenbeath, and some nice heather specialists have popped up. Hopefully there will be at least one more in the form of a county first moth I plan to look for!

Heather Beetle (similar Willow Beetle also present in abundance)

Heather specialist Clubiona trivialis

The "biggie" so far - Emperor moth

Wednesday 13 May 2015

Subtle flowers

Some flowers are more subtle than others...

Crosswort

Alchemilla - Ladies Mantle

Common Sedge

Common Sedge

CommonSedge

Common Sedge

Tuesday 12 May 2015

Cuckooflower

Another favourite popping up all over the place is Cuckooflower. Expect Adela rufimitrella to follow shortly


Saints alive!

So St.Mark's flies also all over the place at the  moment

St.Mark's Day - 25th April
St.George's Day - 23rd April

Interesting. I wonder at what latitude the correct days were 'observed'. Could well have been pretty close in the London area maybe

St.George's Mushroom

No respecter of calendars this one popped up beside the path sometime recently - maybe even last night. Fleshy white mushroom with a strong mealy smell. I may eat one of them one of these days, but I'm not really a forager.Maybe a spore print first anyway ...


Friday 8 May 2015

New species list

New species continue to trickle onto the reserve list along with the regulars and repeats. Fungi did well early on but now with the warmer weather flies and moths are starting to pick up the pace



Preferred Name Common Name Date
1 Coleroa robertiani A fungus on G.robertanium 01/01/2015
2 Geranium pyrenaicum Hedgerow Crane's-bill 01/01/2015
3 Exidia glandulosa Witches' Butter 03/01/2015
4 Phlebia radiata Wrinkled Crust 03/01/2015
5 Phlebiella pseudotsugae A corticioid fungus 03/01/2015
6 Plicatura crispa A fungus 03/01/2015
7 Schizopora paradoxa Split Porecrust 03/01/2015
8 Polyporus leptocephalus Blackfoot Polypore 04/01/2015
9 Hyphodontia pallidula A corticioid fungus 07/01/2015
10 Cladonia coniocraea A lichen 10/01/2015
11 Peniophora nuda A corticioid fungus 10/01/2015
12 Teucrium scorodonia Wood Sage 14/01/2015
13 Septoria arundinacea A fungus on Phragmites 16/01/2015
14 Eichleriella deglubens A corticioid fungus 17/01/2015
15 Mercurialis perennis Dog's Mercury 17/01/2015
16 Primula veris Cowslip 17/01/2015
17 Glechoma hederacea Ground-ivy 23/01/2015
18 Pleuridium acuminatum Taper-leaved Earth-moss 23/01/2015
19 Sistotrema oblongisporum A corticioid fungus 23/01/2015
20 Tortula truncata Common Pottia 23/01/2015
21 Gloeocystidiellum porosum A corticioid fungus 24/01/2015
22 Marchantia polymorpha A liverwort 24/01/2015
23 Parmelia sulcata A lichen 29/01/2015
24 Lunularia cruciata Crescent-cup Liverwort 04/02/2015
25 Trichocera regelationis A Winter Gnat 04/02/2015
26 Oulema melanopus s.l. Cereal Leaf Beetle 13/02/2015
27 Leptocera fontinalis A lesser dungfly 06/03/2015
28 Orchesella cincta A springtail 09/03/2015
29 Hyaloscypha fuckelii An ascomycete fungus 10/03/2015
30 Jaapia argillacea A corticioid fungus 10/03/2015
31 Sialis lutaria An alderfly 10/03/2015
32 Neobisium carcinoides Common Neobisid 11/03/2015
33 Copromyza stercoraria A lesser dung fly 13/03/2015
34 Diplocephalus latifrons A Lyniphiid spider 16/03/2015
35 Walckenaeria nudipalpis A Lyniphiid spider 16/03/2015
36 Paradromius linearis A ground beetle 19/03/2015
37 Exapion (Ulapion) ulicis Gorse Weevil 20/03/2015
38 Micrambe ulicis A beetle 20/03/2015
39 Stenocranus minutus A plant hopper 20/03/2015
40 Platybunus triangularis A harvestman 25/03/2015
41 Tachina ursina A Tachinid fly 25/03/2015
42 Lissotriton helveticus Palmate Newt 27/03/2015
43 Tenuiphantes cristatus A Linyphiid spider 28/03/2015
44 Halyzia sedecimguttata Orange Ladybird 01/04/2015
45 Larinioides cornutus An orb-weaver spider 03/04/2015
46 Crumomyia fimetaria A Lesser Dungfly 03/04/2015
47 Agonopterix ocellana Red-letter Flat-body 04/04/2015
48 Trametes ochracea A fungus 07/04/2015
49 Adalia decempunctata 10-spot Ladybird 08/04/2015
50 Bombylius major Bee Fly 10/04/2015
51 Rhamphomyia subcinerascens An Empid fly 10/04/2015
52 Berytinus (Berytinus) minor A Stilt Bug 10/04/2015
53 Diurnea fagella March Tubic 12/04/2015
54 Neriene peltata A Linyphiid spider 14/04/2015
55 Xylocampa areola Early Grey 23/04/2015
56 Anticlea badiata Shoulder Stripe 23/04/2015
57 Dilophus febrilis Fever Fly 04/05/2015
58 Incurvaria masculella Feathered Bright 07/05/2015
59 Gymnocheta viridis A Tachinid fly 07/05/2015

Thursday 7 May 2015

Carlingnose

A brief trip off-piste to Carlingnose at lunchtime found a nice showing of spring flowers as well as hoverfly Baccha elongata.


Top: Red Dead-nettle, Greater Stitchwort, Lesser Celandine, Field Woodruch
Bottom: White D-N, Shining Cranesbill, Garlic Mustard , Cowslip

Sounds of summer

In the car park this morning I was looking for flies in the cross-talk of Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler and Whitethorat. The first Cuckooflower is up and Bugle is emerging on the embankment. One micromoth captured and one metallic green fly with lots of bristles which I am hoping is a Tachinid.