Southern Marsh Orchids

Southern Marsh Orchids

Wednesday 26 October 2016

Common Toad - Creigiau

First ever sighting of a Common Toad in the garden this morning. Probably quite young as it couldn't have been much more than 2 inches long.



Wednesday 19 October 2016

Nettle Leaf Gall

The nettles in the garden are liberally covered with these galls caused by the nettle Leaf Gall Midge - Dasineura urticae. So, yesterday I put one of the leaves in a pot and this morning several of these small (approx 2mm) larvae were crawling around. S'pose that now I'll have to do some reading to find out when the flies emerge!



Wednesday 12 October 2016

Psocoptera (Barkfly) query

Looking through old images and came across these two tiny little flies (2-3mm long). With the wings so much longer than the abdomen I think they are Barkflies or Psocoptera species.

This image was taken in May 2016, and looks very similar to Ectopsocus briggsi. If correct, there are no current records on Aderyn for East Glamorgan.


The other was seen in July 2016 but I'm not sure on this one. There appear to be several with similar wing venation.


Has anybody else seen/recorded any of these little beasties?

Monday 3 October 2016

Eupterycyba jucunda

Found this little beauty on a towel, hanging out to dry near one of the raised beds. it's another little, <5mm, leafhopper that I've never seen before. Pretty confident on the ID, and, according to Aderyn,  it has previously been recorded in the 2 squares (ST17 & ST18) east of here.

Managed a couple of grab shots before the wind blew it into the flower bed.



Sunday 2 October 2016

Sawfly Query

While at Llyn Fach, this afternoon (ever so slightly in West Glam), I came across this lone Sawfly larva, on a small Birch sapling. What struck me were the colour and the glossiness of it.
I've been looking online and am fairly sure it is Craesus latipes, but would welcome some confirmation on that, please; especially as there is only one Welsh dot on the NBN Gateway map.