Port and Wey: 19 Jun 18

Rufus Castle, St Andrews Church and Pennsylvania Castle Wood

The same route as yesterday, though that couldn't be said for the weather which though was really humid was a mixture of thick Fog and hot sunny breaks. Really bizarre!

This particular route is certainly one of my best to date, with new "bug" species turning up daily. Today was no exception with a few more new species to add to my ever growing Port and Wey list. A Fabricius' Nomad Bee (Nomada fabriciana) was great to find in the grounds of St Andrew's Church. That is now Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana), Marsham's Nomad Bee (Nomada marshamella), Flavous Nomad Bee (Nomada flava) and now Fabricius' Nomad Bee (Nomada fabriciana) recorded on Portland.

An interesting wasp I recorded was my first ever Box-headed Mason-wasp (Gymnomerus laevipes), though I did have other thoughts as to what it could have been. Thank you to Tim Struddock on the UK Bees, Wasps and Ants Facebook Group for the ID.

On the butterfly front I had several Ringlets, Meadow Heaths, Common Blues, 3 Large Skippers, 2 Small Skippers, 2 Lulworth Skippers, 2 Commas, 4 Large Whites, 2 Small Whites, 2 Green-veined Whites, a Dingy Skipper and my first Small Heath of the year.

A few moths about with a Six-spot Burnet moth, several Twin-barred Knot-horns (Homoeosoma sinuella) and a new one for me a Plain Fanner (Glyphipterix fuscoviridella).

The or a different Wasp Beetle was very close to one I saw yesterday in the grounds of St Andrew's Church, where I also found an unusual wasp which I reckon is probably a Potter Wasp or something similar.

I also came across a Dark Bush-cricket, Swollen-thighed Beetles, White-lipped Banded Snails (not found another Brown-lipped yet!), a caterpillar of what I'm now convinced is that of a Six-spot Burnet moth, a Black-horned Gems (Microchrysa polita) or is it in fact a Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa), one of the Cheilosia sp. flies, a Mullein moth caterpillar and my first Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens) on Portland. I'm surprised I've not come across more.

And finally a new fly a Herina nigrina

Here are a few images:

Down the Mermaid Track a few White-lipped Banded Snails.

A Large Skipper

Dark Bush-cricket, Pholidoptera griseoaptera

A very dingy Dingy Skipper

My first Small Heath this year. Hopefully more to the follow and better photos as well.

A Ringlet. Many on the wing now, with several in the grounds of St Andrew's Church

A Small Skipper

I'm beginning to consider that this is actually the caterpillar of the Six-spot Burnet moth. Very similar to the Five-spot Burnet moth caterpillar, I have yet to see a Five-spot Burnet moth on Portland.

A Plain Fanner (Glyphipterix fuscoviridella)....

....taking off.......

........and lift off.

A Speckled Wood

A Twin-barred Knot-horn, Homoeosoma sinuella

And another one.

Now what's happened here!!

Fetch Ted. It looks like human intervention has dislodged a boulder from under Rufus Castle.

Stone me how did that get there!!

I think this is a Black-horned Gems, Microchrysa polita. Not dissimilar to a Broad Centurian, Chloromyia formosa or maybe it is!!

And finally a Lulworth Skipper. Not bad 4 skippers in one outing.

This spot here has produced Lulworth Skippers on the 3 occasions I have been here.

Ah yes that boulder from the other side. Ted is not impressed.

A Cheilosia sp. There are quite a few very similar species.

A Meadow Brown. Lots of these on the wing.

A Large White which I thought was a Marbled White until I tracked it down.

Only the one Mullein moth caterpillar found today............

......and he's making short work of this leaf.

My first Tiger Cranefly (Nephrotoma flavescens) on Portland. I'm surprised I've not come across more.

The same/different Wasp Beetle (Clytus arietis) in almost the same spot as yesterday in the grounds of St Andrew's Church.

A slightly different view across the grounds of St Andrew's Church.

I cannot believe I am struggling with this..........

.......initially I thought it was a Clearwing, which would have been a cracking find. I'm now thinking that it is a species of Potter Wasp or something similar. In fact it is a male Box-headed Mason-wasp (Gymnomerus laevipes). When I was trying to ID this I dismissed this one as the stripes on "mine" were in pairs whereas all the images I came across of Gymnomerus laevipes the stripes were 4 or more and not paired. I guess there can be lots of of variations.