Bedford Purlieus north

A lot of dayflying moths about today at the north end of Bedford Purlieus. As well as the ones here there were Silver Y and Straw Dot plus plenty of Common Blue butterflies.

Treble-bar Aplocera plagiata


Small Scallop Idaea emarginata


Brown Argus Aricia agestis



Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus



Canon Powershot SX10

More garden insects

The aphid farming continues in our garden with a increasing variety of hoverflies and other insects visiting to harvest the bounty. 7-spot Ladybirds are now more numerous and a few 14-spots have joined them and the Harlequins.

But it's the hovers that continue to dominate. E. balteatus is still the most abundant but more S. pyrastri about, the first M. florea of the year and only the second ever garden record of Xanthogramma pedisequum, a most striking wasp mimic. I should think there are about 10 different species present at the moment.

Migrant Hawker, Holly Blue, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper were also around today.

Xanthogramma pedisequum


Myathropa florea


Scaevia pyrastri


Eupeodes luniger


14-spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata



Canon Powershot SX10

Volucella inanis

This large hoverfly is now a fairly regular garden visitor.

Volucella inanis

Canon Powershot SX10

Garden insects

The garden is heaving with aphid at the moment and as a consequence masses of insects feeding on the honeydew. The bulk of these are the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus, which are super abundant, with Common Wasp a poor second but still quite numerous and several Harlequin Ladybirds. There are now increasing numbers of Syrphus and other hoverflies joining in with the odd Scaevia pyrastri mainly on flowers.

Also on flowers are Pyrausta aurata (appropriately known sometimes as Mint Moth) and various bees and wasps.

Episyrphus balteatus


Scaevia pyrastri


Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
f. spectabilis


f. succinea


Pyrausta aurata



Pollen-laden bee

Buff female Poplar Hawk-moth

Haven't posted many moth pics of late but this rather fetching female Poplar Hawk-moth of the rare buff form had me reaching for the camera and I rattled off a few others while I was at it.

Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi, buff female with male




White Satin Moth Leucoma salicis


Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa

Celypha rosaceana (2nd for garden)


Aspilapteryx tringipennella


Canon Powershot SX10

Full list from last night (36 species):
0294 Aspilapteryx tringipennella 2
0411 Argyresthia goedartella 1
0873 Blastobasis adustella 8
1016x Cnephasia sp. 3
1064 Celypha rosaceana 1
1261 Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella) 1
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 3
1304 Agriphila straminella 19
1305 Agriphila tristella 11
1331 Water Veneer (Acentria ephemerella) 1
1344 Eudonia mercurella 1
1405 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 1
1424 Endotricha flammealis 2
1708 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata) 1
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 5
1724 Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia) 1
1738 Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) 1
1913 Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria) 1
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 1
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 2
2000 Iron Prominent (Notodonta dromedarius) 1
2003 Pebble Prominent (Eligmodonta ziczac) 1
2011 Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina) 1
2026 The Vapourer (Orgyia antiqua) 1
2031 White Satin Moth (Leucoma salicis) 1
2044 Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 3
2050 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola) 1
2064 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) 1
2087 Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum) 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 2
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 3
2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) 4
2293 Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica) 5
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 6
2341 Cloaked Minor (Mesoligia furuncula) 1
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 17