27 Aug 18

Mermaid Track, Rufus Castle, St Andrews Church and Pennsylvania Castle Wood

Another walk along my favourite route this afternoon. Not too many butterflies about but I did come across a Small Heath along the Mermaid Track where there were a pair of Common Blues, 2 Large Whites and a Meadow Brown. In the grounds of St Andrew's Church there was a Comma and in Penns Wood a Speckled Wood.

Also also along the track a Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) and an adult Long Winged Cone-head (Conocephalus fuscus). The latter was in the same area as the nymph was found on 7 Aug 18 Here.

Hoverflies were out in force with several Marmalade Hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus), 3 Hornet Mimic Hoverflies (Volucella zonaria), Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea), a Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) with another possible and one of those confusing Syrphus hoverflies.

Here are a few images from this afternoon in order that I photographed them.

Two Common Carder Bees on a teasel.

A male Common Blue.......

........with wings outstretched.

Not the best of shots but an adult Long Winged Cone-head (Conocephalus fuscus), in the same spot where I found a nymph on 7 Aug.

Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) 

Shame about the leaf in the way.

A different camera position and a clear shot of a Small Heath.

A deceased Bloody-nosed Beetle on the coastal path.

An interesting view of a Meadow Brown.

It stayed on the flower long enough for me to do a 180 and photograph it from behind.

A juvenile Wall Lizard on the steps down to Church Ope Cove from Rufus Castle.

Along my side track in Penns Weare one of many Marmalade Hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus) on the wing.

Also on Penns Weare another "blue" butterfly.

In the grounds of St Andrew's Church a Comma.

And not surprisingly another Wall Lizard. Also a juvenile.

Quite a few of these Hornet Mimic Hoverflies (Volucella zonaria) about today.

This is the same as the one above.

Here's another though feeding on the Buddleia

One of the Syrphus hoverflies. Not sure which one though...........

.........here it is taking off.

A Speckled Wood on the Blackberries.

A Dead Head Fly (Myathropa florea) in Penn's wood.

One of the Eristalini Drone Flies...........

.......quiet possibly a Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax). However to be 100% accurate you need to see the diagnostic yellow tarsi that Eristalis tenax (the Common Drone-fly) lacks.

I believe this is a Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris).

I'm not quite sure what it was doing, but seemed very interested in this Ivy leaf!
  
The other day I came across the nymph of a Harlequin Ladybird at the top of Penns Wood. Well today in the same area I came across several adults as well as a few more nymphs.

And another individual closely resembling the one above.

Here's another one with a variation of pattern and colours.

And a fourth individual where the black spots behind the head are joined as opposed to the separated spots on the individual above.

The nymph of a Harlequin Ladybird.

And another. I wonder which colour and pattern variation this one and the one above will turn out to be!

Well I couldn't ID the previous Drone Fly, but looking at those yellow tarsi I would say that this is a Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax).

And another Hornet Mimic Hoverflies (Volucella zonaria). This one was at the top of Penns Wood just as you come out onto Pennsylvania Road.

I continuously keep finding new plants and flowers on the island......

......I think this one is Red Bartsia (Odontites vernus). More on Red Bartsia Here.