26 July 2022 - Hollingworth Lake

« Newer   |   Older »

Various invertebrates & feeding signs

Not many birds about today, so here are some other interesting encounters.  Just before the hide there are a couple of Hemp Agrimony plants by the stone wall. By carefully examining the stems I found a couple of Hemp-agrimony Plume (Adaina microdactyla) 'galls' where the larva has bored into the stem and caused a swelling.  It's the first time I've recorded them around here, though I have looked at these plants in the past.  Also on one of the same plants was a Harvestman with its legs splayed longitudinally.  After some investigation it turns out this species was introduced in the 1970s but has spread rapidly northwards and is now common across Britain.  Records were originally thought to be Dicranopalpus ramosus, but the species has recently been split into two, and the possibility of Dicranopalpus caudatus cannot be ruled out. Hence it is recorded as Dicranopalpus ramosus agg.

A little further on I found a nice (though vacated) Lyonetia clerkella mine on a Blackthorn leaf.

Back at home I noticed that one of the Phyllonorycter harissella mines I collected last week had produced an adult.  They are the tiniest things, so not the easiest subject to capture with a 100-500mm lens, but you can at least tell what it is!

Also shown is an interesting fly from the following day (27 July); I think it's some kind of Soldier Fly but I've not been able to get an ID beyond that. I did look at https://www.naturespot.org.uk/family/stratiomyidae and found this useful ID Guide, but still wasn't convinced which it might be.

Adaina Microdactyla Feeding, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 1600 (view full size image)

Dicranopalpus Ramosus Agg, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 1600 (view full size image)

Lyonetia Clerkella Mine, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 8000 (view full size image)

Phyllonorycter Harrisella, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 2500

Soldier Fly Sp, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 800 (view full size image)