Angelica - insect magnet!

It will be years before I can identify everything one of these can attract in ten minutes! Also some interesting behaviour to note as to where things land and how they behave. It's a world in itself

Red admiral

Additions of late may have been a bit composed of something for the connoisseur. This isn't a new addition for the year, but it is the first one I've photographed - a nice collection of at least 3 Red Admirals were present on Friday 22nd. Devil's-bit Scabious is a fantastic flower for all sorts of insects!

Closing in

A few more spp. added from the weekend's visit, and the list up around the 430 mark. Is it possible to add 70 species in 20 days? Feels doable. Might need to work the moth trap out a bit. Here's one of the additions from Sunday - the lovely Stonefly Isoperla grammatica.

Pics - insects - Hoverflies

Cheilosia albitarsis s.l.

19/06/2014

Cheilosia grossa

12/03/2014

Cheilosia fraterna

16/04/2014

Chrysogaster solstitialis

09/07/2014

Episyrphus balteatus, Marmalade Hoverfly

09/09/2013

Eupeodes luniger

31/07/2014

Eristalis pertinax

18/04/2014

Helophilus pendulus

27/09/2013

Leucozona leucorum

19/06/2014

Melangyna lasiophthalma

19/04/2014

Melanostoma scalare

10/05/2014

Rhingia campestris

08/05/2014

Syrphus ribesii

17/09/2013

Green-veined white

First Green-veined White of the year at sunny Cullaloe this lunchtime. I also just discovered that a plant I've been contemplating is Garlic Mustard. Ironic combination given I was hoping for my first Orange Tip today!

Bee update

Managed a few closer shots of bees yesterday. This time I also found on BWARS website (link) the useful tip "fresh workers often have a narrow band of brownish hairs at the base of the white ‘tail’" for B.terrestris. I'm not sure this is even a worker, but I am sure its tail has at least a narrow band of brownish hairs. This one has a lot of passengers! Looking at pics from last year of B.lucorum, it has a very clean tail (see hymenoptera gallery here)

post-script from iRecord

Swings and roundabouts

So the hope of positive bee ID looks like it has buzzed off, but on the up side a hoverfly I photographed yesterday has been identified as Cheilosia grossa (thanks to the guys on UK Hoverflies facebook page!). I briefly tried to look for it in my hoverflies books last night, but now I can drill down on it I'll get a better idea of what to look for next time around. I also just realised that since the bee failed, this is the actual 200th species for Cullalloe this year! AND it's a new record for the reserve into the bargain. Hoorah!

Springtime

Beautiful sunshine and 13 degrees at lunchtime. A Peacock butterfly was flitting about the car park/filter beds area along with bees which several times escaped identification by immediately flying very far away without looking back. Big guys though.

On the top of the banking Coltsfoot flowers are now dotted about the place. I could swear they weren't there a couple of days ago. Probably because they weren't.

Pics - Insects - True Flies

List of Cullaloe's True Flies

Downlooker Snipefly, Rhagio scolopaceus

15/05/2014

Noon Fly

12/09/2013

Yellow Dung Fly, Scathophaga stercoria

10/04/2014

List - Insects - Diptera (True Flies)

Pictures of Cullaloe's True Flies

(updated 27/01/2016)

Family	Scientific Name	Common Name
Agromyzidae	Phytomyza ilicis	Holly Leaf Gall Fly
Agromyzidae	Phytomyza spondylii s.l.
Anisopodidae	Sylvicola punctatus	A wood gnat
Anthomyidae	Mycophaga testacea
Bibionidae	Bibio marci	St.Mark's Fly
Bibionidae	Dilophus febrilis	Fever fly
Bombyliidae	Bombylius major	Bee Fly
Cecidomyiidae	Contarinia jacobaeae
Cecidomyiidae	Dasyneura pustulans	A gall midge
Cecidomyiidae	Dasyneura ulmariae	A gall midge
Cecidomyiidae	Rhabdophaga marginemtorquens
Chloropidae	Elachiptera cornuta agg.	A Chloropid fly
Conopidae	Conops quadrifasciata	A Conopid fly
Dolichopodidae	Argyra leucocephala	A Dolichopodid fly
Dolichopodidae	Dolichopus picipes	A Dolichopodid fly
Dolichopodidae	Dolichopus plumipes	A Dolichopodid fly
Dolichopodidae	Dolichopus popularis	A Dolichopodid fly
Dolichopodidae	Rhaphium appendiculatum	A Dolichopodid fly
Empididae	Empis livida	An Empid fly
Empididae	Empis stercorea	An Empid fly
Empididae	Empis tessellata	An Empid fly
Empididae	Rhamphomyia subcinerascens	An Empid fly
Limoniidae	Dicranomyia modesta	A Cranefly
Limoniidae	Limonia phragmitidis
Lonchopteridae	Lonchoptera lutea	Yellow spear-winged fly
Muscidae	Haematobosca stimulans
Muscidae	Mesembrina meridiana	Noon Fly
Muscidae	Mydaea anicula
Muscidae	Thricops semicinereus
Pallopteridae	Palloptera modesta
Pediciidae	Pedicia rivosa	A cranefly
Pipunculidae	Dorylomorpha extricata	A Pipunculid fly
Pipunculidae	Verrallia aucta	A Pipunculid fly
Rhagionidae	Chrysopilus cristatus	Black Snipefly
Rhagionidae	Rhagia scolopaceous	Downlooker Snipefly
Scathophagidae	Scathophaga stercoraria	Yellow Dung Fly
Sepsidae	Sepsis cynipsea	A sepsid fly
Sepsidae	Sepsis orthocnemis	A sepsid fly
Sphaeroceridae	Copromyza stercoraria	A lesser dung fly
Stratiomyidae	Beris geniculata	A Soldier Fly
Stratiomyidae	Chloromyia formosa	Broad Centurion
Stratiomyidae	Sargus iridatus	A Soldier Fly
Syrphidae	Baccha elongata	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Cheilosia albitarsis s.l	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Cheilosia antiqua	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Cheilosia bergenstammi	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Cheilosia fraterna	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Cheilosia grossa	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Cheilosia illustrata	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Cheilosia impressa	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Cheilosia pagana	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Cheilosia proxima	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Cheilosia scutellata	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Cheilosia variabilis	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Chrysogaster solstitialis	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Chrysotoxum arcuatum	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Chrysotoxum bicinctum	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Dasysyrphus tricinctus	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Dasysyrphus venustus	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Epistrophe grossulariae	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Episyrphus balteatus	Marmalade Hoverfly
Syrphidae	Eristalis arbustorum	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Eristalis horticola	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Eristalis intricarius	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Eristalis nemorum	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Eristalis pertinax	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Eristalis tenax	Common Drone Fly
Syrphidae	Helophilus hybridus	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Helophilus pendulus	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Leucozona glaucia	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Leucozona lucorum	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Melangyna cf labiatarum	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Melangyna lasiophthalma	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Melangyna umbellatarum	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Melanogaster hirtella	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Melanostoma mellinum	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Melanostoma scalare	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Merodon equestris	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Myathropa florea	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Platycheirus albimanus	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Platycheirus angustatus	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Platycheirus clypeatus	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Platycheirus fulviventris	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Platycheirus granditarsus	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Platycheirus manicatus	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Platycheirus peltatus	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Platycheirus tarsalis	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Rhingia campestris	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Riponnensia splendens	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Scaeva pyrastri	Pied Hoverfly
Syrphidae	Sericomyia silentis	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Sphaerophoria interrupta	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Syritta pipiens	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Syrphus ribesii	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Syrphus vitripennis	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Volucella bombylans	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Volucella pellucens	Pelucid Hoverfly
Syrphidae	Xanthandrus comtus	A hoverfly
Syrphidae	Xylota segnis	A hoverfly
Tabanidae	Haematopota pluvialis	Common Horse Fly
Tachinidae	Gymnocheta viridis	A  tachinid fly
Tachinidae	Tachina ursina	A  tachinid fly
Tephritidae	Chaetostomella cylindrica	A Picture-winged Fly
Tephritidae	Tephritis neesii	A Picture-winged Fly
Tipulidae	Tipula luteipennis	A Cranefly
Tipulidae	Tipula oleracea	A Cranefly
Tipulidae	Tipula vittata	A Cranefly
Trichoceridae	Trichocera regelationis	A Winter Gnat
Ulidiidae	Herina frondescentiae	A Picture-winged Fly