Dixa nebulosa, 15/11/2017

Species: Dixa nebulosa, male
Location: Cullaloe LNR
Gridref: NT1887
Date: 15/11/2017
Notes: On wooden deck beside filter beds

Update 09/11/2017

Another new fly ID'd last night was Thricops diaphanus, two females of which were taken on the previous muscid outing (22/10?).

Lunchtime visit revealed a Lycoperdon molle beside the spillway, but also that a major branch has come down in the woods. Photos of both below. The branch falling means another route has to be taken into the woods. It's heavy!

Calypterates continued

Morellia simplex added to the previous list

White sign attracts flies!

Calypterate catnip

Morellia simplex

Morellia simplex

Sunny calypterates

An hour spent catching flies from the sunlit wood of the hide was well rewarded with a number of calypterate additions as well as some old friends. What looks like Polietes hirticrus would be new for the county, though the RES handbook notes it as common in Scotland. "Biology of Muscidae"notes it as easier to find as larva in cow dung where it is a predator of Mesembrina larvae. It has a discontinuous distribution in the Palearctic with Britain isolated in against an eastern range.

Delia platura from the information board was also new to the reserve

Eudasyphora cyanella

Eudasyphora cyanella

Phanoia valida

P.hirticrus with yellow calyters and dark haltere

Delia platura

Collecting, Pinning, Carding, Labelling

From Mark Telfer's and Chris raper's web offerings:

Mark on reference collection prep

Chris on reference collection prep

Moth trapping, 07/04/2017

A rare visit to Cullaloe this year for the first of two "public" moth trapping events. A good time to visit as April has been underdone moth-wise. As a result three new additions on the moth front and one new wasp, in addition to a spider that wasn't recorded for 15 years.

Three traps were run, each adding one species to the list. Small Quakers were numerous at the pines while a second MV at the spillway produced one Twin-spotted Quaker. The third addition came from an actinic heath trap at the filter beds - Double-striped Pug. Only 7 species of moth were found on the night so that's a pretty good hit rate!

Also at the pines were two Ophion obscuratus wasps. A female wolf spider - Trochosa terricola - was caught pathside as its eyes reflected the torchlight.

Small Quaker