Linacre Insects - A New Species!

 I was down at Linacre on Thursday (29th) doing the last check on the nestboxes (more details to follow). The weather was pretty decent, with sunny spells and temperatures in the high teens, so I managed to spot a few insects too, including a new species for Linacre - Burnet Companion. 

Burnet Companion is a species of day-flying moth. It's pretty common, but hasn't been recorded here before, so this sighting was a very nice one.

Burnet Companion

Other species seen were: Common Blue Damselfly (3 males), Wall Brown ( 1 worn male), 1 Scorpion Fly, Nettletap (moth), Swollen-thighed Beetle, Large White (1) and a couple of hoverflies; Helophilus pendulus and Myathropa florea.

Common Blue Damselfly

Linacre Insects - 3rd June 2017

It was bright and sunny again today (20 degrees), so I had a couple of hours in and around the ringing site at Linacre, to see which insects were out and about. As it turned out, there were quite a few, including many "new for the year" species.

The first insect I saw was Common Blue Damselfly, which was very numerous (c.20/30 individuals), including many newly emerged individuals. A single Large Red Damselfly was also present , in exactly the same spot as last year's individual.

Common Blue Damselfly

Large Red Damselfly

A single Meadow Brown butterfly (my first of 2017), was seen, as was a male Common Blue Butterfly, feeding on the Bird's Foot Trefoil, and a Large Skipper.

Common Blue Butterfly

Large Skipper

As well as these butterflies, there were also several day flying moths present, 3 of which I could identify: Nettle Tap Moth, Cinnabar Moth and Bloodvein.

Cinnabar Moth

Bloodvein

Hoverflies were present in good numbers with numerous Eristalsis sp seen, a single Helophilus pendulus , 1 Volucella pellucens (Great Pied Hoverfly), 1 Volucella bombylans and a couple of "as yet unknown" species!!

Great Pied Hoverfly

Other species seen were: Scorpion Fly, a Mayfly sp (possibly Drake Mackerel) and a Hairy Shieldbug. All in all, an excellent couple of hours!!