After the unexpected rain this morning, the sun did eventually appear and we had a very sunny and warm afternoon on Portland.
There were quite a few highlights with a a lot of new insects to add to my Port and Wey lists.
And yet again I came across another "Pink" Meadow Grasshopper. Up until a few days I had only seen two, both of which were in 2018. However since 21 Jul 25 I have seen a further 3.
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Escapees, Ferals, Possibles Etc.
Feral pigeon
Feral pigeon
Butterflies Recorded:
7 Large White Pieris brassicae
4 Small White Pieris rapae
1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
2 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
1 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
20+ Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
5 Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon
Moths Recorded:
10+ Six-Spot Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae
3 Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata
7 Large White Pieris brassicae
4 Small White Pieris rapae
1 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
2 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
1 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
20+ Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
5 Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon
The only Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus I found today.
A male Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon
10+ Six-Spot Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae
3 Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata
1 Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana - possibly
8 Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
1 Boxtree Moth Cydalima perspectalis
2 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella
A Small Fan-footed Wave Idaea biselata
And another Small Fan-footed Wave
A Tortrix moth. Possibly a Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana
A Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
And another Yellow-spot Tortrix
And my first ever Boxtree Moth Cydalima perspectalis which I found close to the meadow here.
A Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Large Meadow Mining Bee Andrena labialis
Wasps, Ichneumon Wasps, Parasitic Wasps and Gall Wasps Recorded:
3 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
2 German Wasp Vespula germanica
1 Common Hover Fly Parasitoid Wasp Diplazon laetatorius
Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Large Meadow Mining Bee Andrena labialis
A Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
3 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
2 German Wasp Vespula germanica
1 Common Hover Fly Parasitoid Wasp Diplazon laetatorius
On this Wild Fennel Foeniculum vulgare we have.....................
........a Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris on the left and a German Wasp Vespula germanica on the right.
A Common Hover Fly Parasitoid Wasp Diplazon laetatorius
1 Berberis Sawfly Arge berberidis
It was a day of firsts. This time a Berberis Sawfly Arge berberidis
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
Dead Head Hoverfly Myathropa florea
Pied Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri
Syrphus sp.
Pied Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri
Syrphus sp.
A Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax
On this Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris are two Dead Head Hoverflies Myathropa florea and a female Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis. Note the difference in size between the two hoverflies. The difference in size is down to how much food the larvae were able to eat before they pupated.
A Pied Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri on Wild Fennel
A Syrphus sp.
1 Yellow-legged Tiger Crane fly Nephrotoma flavipalpis
Leaf Miner Phytomyza lappae
Tachinidae Fly Thelaira nigripes
Red-spotted Parasite Fly Eriothrix rufomaculata
Oriental Latrine fly Chrysomya megacephala
A Yellow-legged Tiger Crane fly Nephrotoma flavipalpis and a new cranefly for my Port and Wey list
A Tachinidae Fly Thelaira nigripes
A Red-spotted Parasite Fly Eriothrix rufomaculata
Possibly an Oriental Latrine fly Chrysomya megacephala.
Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
1 Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
1 Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
1 Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
1 Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
1 Grass Bug Stenodema laevigata
1 Rose Chafer Cetonia aurata
This is a Grass Bug Stenodema laevigata sat on a Sycamore leaf. and yet another new species for my list.
A Rose Chafer Cetonia aurata
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus
Lacewings and Scorpionflies Recorded:
Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea
Spiders Recorded:
1 Common Hammock-weaver Linyphia triangularis
Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus
And another "pink" Meadow Grasshopper. Here is an extract from the National Geographic for a Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelusax, which states "It is called erythrism an unusual and little-understood genetic mutation caused by a recessive gene similar to that which affects albino animals. This mutation results in one of two things happening or even a combination of the two; a reduction or even absence of the normal pigment and/or the excessive production of other pigments, in this case red which results in pink morphs".
And a "normal" Meadow Grasshopper. However even this colouration can differ.
Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea
A Common Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea
1 Common Hammock-weaver Linyphia triangularis
A new spider for my list. This is a Common Hammock-weaver Linyphia triangularis
Plants:
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Greater Burdock Arctium lappa
Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum
Lesser Burdock Arctium minus
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Bramble Rubus fruticosusa
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris
Greater Burdock Arctium lappa
Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum
Lesser Burdock Arctium minus
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Ships Today:
