Vestal (Rhodometra sacraria) x2 & Cydia amplana in Bengeo on Wednesday night. @migrantmothuk.bsky.social @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social #teammoth
Simon Knott
@sjbknott.bsky.social
Birds, Chess, Coleoptera, Flora, Moths, R&I, Syrphidae, Stratiomyidae et al. Slowly rewilding Herts garden & trying to photograph its fauna & flora.
Breckland Plume (Oxyptilus distans) found Tuesday night in Bengeo, really attractive micro. @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social #teammoth
Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcolestes viridis) ♀ today in Bengeo garden. @britishdragonflies.bsky.social
Geotrupes spiniger today in Bengeo garden, large beetle associated with cow dung on old grasslands. Until you explore nocturnal fauna by light trapping, one is unaware that such magnificent species are present. @bugmanjones.bsky.social #CommonDumbleDor #Geotrupidae #attractedtolight
Brachycarenus tigrinus today in Bengeo garden, associated with hot, dry, well-drained soils. 1st observed in UK at Battersea in 2003 by @bugmanjones.bsky.social & now spreading northwards. 6th species of rhopalid bug recorded here. @britishbugs.bsky.social @rockwolf74.bsky.social #Rhopalidae
Tabanus autumnalis ♀ today in Bengeo garden, massive horsefly associated with marshland & Herts rarity. Easily largest fly I have seen in garden. 6th tabanid species recorded here. @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social #Tabanidae
Polistichus connexus yesterday in Bengeo garden, really attractive coastal carabid beetle. Once regarded as rare but now disperses on hot July nights & is increasingly recorded at light traps. @carabidaeuk.bsky.social #attractedtolight #climatechange
Chrysopa dorsalis yesterday in Bengeo garden, rare lacewing associated with Pines. One of two green lacewing species with significant darkened markings on head & body. Head pattern distinguishes it from much commoner perla. @kitenet.bsky.social #Neuroptera #attractedtolight
Ledra aurita yesterday in Bengeo garden, Britain's largest leafhopper & associated with Oak. Their camouflage is exceptional ensuring their almost complete invisibility in oak foliage.
Oxycera nigricornis ♂ today in Bengeo garden, attractive tiny aquatic soldierfly. @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social #Stratiomyidae #attractedtolight
Rhyzobius lophanthae found yesterday in Bengeo garden, Herts. 23rd species of Ladybird recorded here. @ukladybirds.bsky.social @andrew-jewels.bsky.social #attractedtolight
White Bryony (Bryonia dioica) is special plant with its own bee, ladybird, moth & picture-wing fly. These support other unique species. Utetes testaceus ♀ today in Bengeo garden, braconid wasp parasitoid of Goniglossum wiedemanni, picture-wing fly. @haggewoods.bsky.social @rlewington2.bsky.social
Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) ♀ has recently taken up residence in bone-dry Bengeo garden, note black legs provide easy ID. @britishdragonflies.bsky.social
Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) feeding on Buddleia (Buddleja davidii) today in Bengeo garden, now annual visitor here. @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social
Xylotrechus antilope ♀ from Tuesday night in Bengeo garden, attractive European species of oak longhorn beetle. Recorded here now for last three years & strongly indicative of successful colonisation. @bugmanjones.bsky.social @nottscoleoptera.bsky.social #Cerambycidae #attractedtolight #saproxylic
Nomada zonata ♂ feeding on Bramble (Rubus sp.) today in Bengeo garden. This cuckoo bee, whose host is Andrena dorsata, was 1st recorded in UK in 2016 & has dramatically expanded its range since.
Four species of Volucella today in Bengeo garden: V.bombylans 'plumata' ♂ , V.inflata ♀ , V.pellucens ♀ & V.zonaria ♂. @flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Stictoleptura scutellata today in Bengeo garden, magnificent large nationally scarce longhorn beetle. Area between Hertford & Broxbourne Woods is one of their national strongholds. #Cerambycidae
Tabanus bromius ♀ today in Bengeo garden. Her eyes are fantastic but she is horsefly with vicious biting mouthparts able to pierce cow's hide. @flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Three species of Volucella enjoying Bramble (Rubus sp.) today in Bengeo garden: V.zonaria ♂, V.inflata ♀+♂ & V.pellucens ♀. Magnificent hoverflies. @flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Chrysops caecutiens ♀ today in Bengeo garden. Females are stunning but they have one objective which is to bite your head & neck. @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social #SplayedDeerfly
Megastigmus aculeatus ♀ today in Bengeo garden, attractive torymid wasp associated with Roses. @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social #RoseSeedChalcid
Creeping Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans) & Hedge Bedstraw (Galium album) this weekend in Bengeo garden, Herts. Both have naturally colonised lawn here. #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social
Ablattaria laevigata adult (today) & larva (Wednesday) on lawn in Bengeo garden. This scarce snail-killing silphid beetle requires short turf & free-draining soils. Present in Hertford area but still remarkable that this flightless species has been able to colonise lawn. @nottscoleoptera.bsky.social
Teneral Physocephala rufipes ♂ found today on flowerbed wall in Bengeo garden, fascinating then to watch it change to its full adult colour over next hour. P.rufipes is most wasp-like of conopid parasitoid flies. @flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Euglenes oculatus today in Bengeo garden, nationally scarce ant-like leaf beetle that develops in red-rotten heartwood of oaks. Normally I see this species at night attracted to light, this one however flew onto my shirt in broad daylight. @nottscoleoptera.bsky.social #Aderidae #saproxylic
Goniglossum wiedemanni mating pair on its host plant White Bryony (Bryonia dioica) today in Bengeo garden. Scarce picture-winged fly that is forever being hunted by its braconid parasitoid Utetes testaceus. @flygirlnhm.bsky.social
