Mayfly ?

Another query from Creigiau ....

Found this on the garage window sill this morning. Isn't it a bit late for mayflies?

Tipula pagana query

Lots of these on the garage wall this morning, a mix of males and females. Some of the females had very stunted wings held out as in Dave's second photo (see previous posting), but this one looked much neater with the wings folded. I assume it is the same.

Tipulids

Only one moth in the trap last night, but now getting lots of this Cranefly Tipula pagna. The females are brachypterous.

Zygina leafhopper ?

Found this flitting around at the bottom of the garden. Only 3mm long but obviously showing some colour to the naked eye so I managed to get it into a pot. Too lively to open the pot and unfortunately it didn't survive being placed in the fridge but I did manage to get a couple of shots through the sides - note to self: must clean the bug pots! The grid, placed under the pot, is 2mm.

Obviously a 'hopper' of some sort with a distinct orange/red pattern and after trawling through the British Bugs gallery I think its a leafhopper and probably Zygina flammigera. I would appreciate confirmation or correction.

Thanks

Howard

Fungus

A couple of days ago, I paid a brief visit, between jobs, to a site, near Penywaun, in the Cynon Valley. I had no particular aim in mind and ended up just shining a torch into dark recesses and holes in a hedge bank. Not surprisingly, I didn't find much, but in one hole, under a hazel, I noticed tiny patches of pale grey/blue, on the otherwise brown sandy clay.

I could only just squeeze my compact camera and enough fingers to operate it, into the hole to get the above image. With the aid of my knife, I also managed to extract a small piece of soil with some of the blue on and using a hand lens, confirmed my suspicion that it was a resupinate fungus.
Running out of time, I had a quick look into other holes and found some more of it inside the entrance of the small burrow of a rodent. This patch was slightly better developed and extended 25 to 30 mm inside the burrow.

                     

As far as identification is concerned, the best I can come up with is a tentative Byssocorticium terrestre, which apparently comes in just about all the colours of the rainbow and is found in such places as here, so it may well be this species.
Given the tentative nature of my identification, I would obviously welcome some advice. It may be B. atrovirens, but that species is, apparently, only to be found on decaying wood.
I have since found more of this growing in similarly dark places, in Cwmbach.

Fungi (?)

Can anyone enlighten me as to what these are on (I think) rotting alder leaves? They are tiny only 1-2mm high. I assume a kind of fungus but very attractive whatever they are! 

green lacewing

Found this lacewing in the moth trap on Sunday morning. Only managed a couple of grab shots before it flew away. You can clearly see the hairs on the wing veins so can I log this as Chrysoperla carnea or are there others with this characteristic?

Butterfly Conservation South Wales Branch AGM and Members Day

If you are at a loose end on Saturday, come then how about coming down to Kenfig for the Branch AGM? Non-members welcome! http://butterfly-conservation.org/244-6137/south-wales-agmmembers-day.html

Parc Slip

As well as the red underwing (see moth blog) on the Visitor Centre there were 6 clouded yellows, including a mating pair, and at least 10 small coppers in one of the new wildflower meadows today.

Yesterday a Wall (first recorded at Parc Slip since 2011) and a diamond-back moth were seen in the stunning 'failed' arable crop field.