Joined August 2012
- Tweets 4,473
- Following 432
- Followers 972
- Likes 26,474
1,955 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
May 26
Plagionotus detritus ♀ today in Bengeo garden, spectacular European longhorn beetle associated with Oak & Hornbeam with few UK records.
Previously recorded here in 2023 & appears now to have colonised local woodland. #saproxylic #attractedtolight
3
5
29
652
Jun 13
Tabanus bromius ♀ today in Bengeo garden. Her eyes are fantastic but she is horsefly with vicious biting mouthparts able to pierce cow's hide.
2
7
52
809
Jun 10
Three species of Volucella enjoying Bramble (Rubus sp.) today in Bengeo garden: V.zonaria ♂, V.inflata ♀ ♂ & V.pellucens ♀. Magnificent hoverflies.
1
7
26
679
Jun 4
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.
1
18
376
Jun 1
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.
14
163
Jun 1
Xanthogramma stackelbergi ♂ today in Bengeo garden, striking woodland hoverfly recorded far less frequently than common X.pedissequum.
Photos show major ID features: little darkening on wings below pterostigma, 4 yellow spots on side of thorax & yellow membrane below T3-5.
1
2
22
356
May 29
Antherophagus pallens found yesterday on Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) in Bengeo garden, scarce silken fungus beetle with interesting life cycle. #phoresis 1/2
1
1
13
237
May 29
Antherophagus female waits on white flowers for any visiting bumblebee which she then secures onto using her mandibles. She only releases bumblebee once it has returned to its nest where she lay her eggs. It is believed that larvae then act as scavengers. #phoresis 2/2
2
14
378
May 20
Epistrophe grossulariae ♂ today in Bengeo garden, beautiful species identifiable by its almost straight black abdominal bands & habit of feeding at flowers without landing.
Never recorded this species in May before. #climatechange
2
6
25
1,084
May 20
Andrena florea ♀ on White Bryony (Bryonia dioica) today in Bengeo garden. 1st record here of this wonderful bee that only uses White Bryony pollen. #BryonyMiningBee
2
1
27
479
May 4
Subilla confinis ♀ found Friday night on house back wall in Bengeo, rarest British snakefly.
Now recorded all four British snakeflies here. #attractedtolight #Raphidiidae
2
4
32
368
May 4
Very useful identification feature for Subilla confinis is coarse sculpturing on head. In contrast, Xanthostigma xanthostigma has much smoother head.
1
81
May 3
Stratiomys longicornis ♂ today in Bengeo garden, large nationally scarce aquatic soldierfly which is superb bee mimic. Very local coastal species which increasingly appears to be dispersing inland despite its halophilic requirements. #Stratiomyidae
2
3
25
505
May 1
Xanthogramma citrofasciatum ♂ today in Bengeo garden, beautiful species closely associated with Yellow Meadow Ant (Lasius flavus). Very easy species to miss as it flies close to ground. Today's record is six days earlier than all previous records here. #climatechange
2
15
227
Apr 23
Criorhina hoverflies are large impressive bee mimics often associated with ancient woodland & wood pasture.
Criorhina berberina ♂ today in Bengeo garden. Smallest of four species with two forms, this form 'oxyacanthae' closely resembles bumblebee Bombus pascuorum. #saproxylic
2
13
238
Apr 23
Criorhina hoverflies are large impressive bee mimics often associated with ancient woodland & wood pasture.
Criorhina asilica ♂ today in Bengeo garden. Scarcest of four species, in flight it resembles mining bee Andrena scotica with very convincing bee hum. #saproxylic
2
15
276
Apr 19
Brachypalpus laphriformis ♀ today in Bengeo garden, large nationally scarce species associated with ancient woodland & wood pasture.
110th species of hoverfly recorded here. #saproxylic
2
3
20
563
Mar 20
Spring Hoverflies (1): Myathropa florea ♂ back in Bengeo garden today. Earliest record here by one day.
1
3
23
384
Mar 19
Two Stylops sp. males today in Bengeo garden. Males live for only few hours seeking out females on their Andrena bee hosts & so are very rarely observed. #Strepsiptera
3
6
44
1,239
Mar 4
Epistrophe eligans ♂ today in Bengeo garden, iconic spring hoverfly. Earliest record here by 4 days. #SpringHoverflies #climatechange
1
1
25
357