X is for Xylota & Xanthogramma

29 Wednesday Dec 2021

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British hoverflies, hoverfly, Xanthogramma pedissequum, Xylota segnis, Xylota sylvarum

If it weren’t for hoverflies, this letter might well have proven rather tricky. Fortunately, there are three genera of hoverfly in Britain with names beginning with X: Xanthandrus, Xanthogramma and Xylota. I have seen none of the first but I have seen one of the Xanthogramma species, X. pedissequum (there are two others that have so far eluded me, X. stackelbergi and X. citrofasciatum).

211229 Xanthogramma pedissequum

There are seven British species of Xylota, of which I have so far encountered only two, X. segnis (below left) and X. sylvarum (below right). I’m still finding hoverflies a rather tricky family to identify but these particular finds have been confirmed through a series of photos by those much more expert than I will ever be.

Doomed

16 Tuesday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in insects

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British hoverflies, Epistrophe grossulariae larva, hoverfly larva, parasitic wasp, wasp parasitising hoverfly larva

During Sunday morning’s meander around Cosmeston, I watched this little drama play out on a fence post: the larva of one of the Syrphus* species of hoverfly was being injected with eggs by a parasitic wasp. The poor larva was bucking about, desperately trying to get rid of the intruder, but to no avail. The wasp’s ovipositor was firmly wedged into the hoverfly larva, pumping eggs into its body. The larva will be eaten from the inside by the wasp’s larvae when they hatch.

*My ID was wrong. When I recorded this find, I got the following message from national recorder Geoffrey Wilkinson: ‘This is a small 3rd-stage Epistrophe grossulariae – the rear breathing tube is longer than broad and is two-toned in colour (brown tipped, clear base). Although the colour pattern has yet to fully develop you can just see the fish-bone pattern of green and make out the black dorsal dashes.’

Syrphus hoverfly larvae

06 Saturday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, insects, leaves, trees

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British hoverflies, hoverfly larva, hoverfly larva on Sycamore, insects on Sycamore, sycamore, Syrphus sp larvae, Syrphus species

We’ve seen the Godzilla of hoverfly larvae, one of the Dasysyrphus species, and, back in February 2020, I featured my very first hoverfly larva, one of the Platycheirus family, and then in September we saw the larva and adult of Scaeva pyrastri. However, I haven’t yet shown you the larvae I see most often, those of the Syrphus species of hoverfly.

211106 syrphus sp (1)

I usually find these on Sycamore leaves, the undersides of which are home to thriving families of aphids, the hoverfly larvae’s favourite food. Occasionally, I’ve found larvae on the tops of leaves or on branches, perhaps on the move to a new leaf. And yesterday, on Twitter, I saw a short video by my go-to hoverfly larvae expert on the various species of hoverfly larvae he had found on gravestones under Sycamore trees in his local cemetery. I’ll be checking out that idea during one of next week’s nature walks. Meantime, try turning over some Sycamore leaves – you never know what might be lurking underneath.

The Godzilla of hoverfly larvae

26 Tuesday Oct 2021

Posted by sconzani in insects, trees

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British hoverflies, Dasysyrphus larva, hoverfly larva, hoverfly larva eating an aphid, hoverfly larva on Sycamore

The highlight of Friday’s walk was marvelling at this hoverfly larva catch an aphid. The larva sat, perfectly camouflaged on its Sycamore seed, waiting for an unsuspecting aphid to tootle past. Though these larvae are blind, they can obviously sense movement, as this one rapidly twisted its body towards any approaching larvae. As I watched, it missed the first one but the next larva to chance its luck was grabbed and was in the process of having its life juices sucked out when I moved on.

211026 hoverfly larva (1)

Geoff, a hoverfly larvae expert I consulted on Twitter, was able to confirm a species but not a precise identification: ‘The Godzilla of hoverfly larvae! Certainly Dasysyrphus sp. probably albostriatus. Need a dorsal view of the rear breathing tube to be certain.’ Yes, you read that right – not only is the larva blind but it also breathes through tubes in its rear end!

211026 hoverfly larva (2)

Scaeva pyrastri

04 Saturday Sep 2021

Posted by sconzani in nature

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British hoverflies, hoverfly, hoverfly larva, Migrant hoverfly, Scaeva pyrastri

It’s quite the transformation, from this green larva that looks a bit like a cross between a slug and a caterpillar …

210904 scaeva pyrastri (1)

to this black-and-white flying creature.

210904 scaeva pyrastri (2)

This is the hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri and, amazingly, it’s a migrant from mainland Europe. A bit like the Red admiral butterfly, Scaeva pyrastri has good years and bad years, sometimes visiting lowland Britain in large numbers, sometimes hardly at all. And, when it comes here, it does often breed locally (and here, I must add a caveat – the larva in my first image may actually be the other Scaeva species, S. selentica, though that species hasn’t actually been recorded in my area).

210904 scaeva pyrastri (3)

Three more hoverflies

06 Saturday Mar 2021

Posted by sconzani in insects

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British hoverflies, Episyrphus balteatus, Eristalis tenax, hoverfly, Meliscaeva auricollis, spring hoverflies

These three are often the first hoverflies seen in the springtime as they all over-winter as adults, so it’s no surprise that I’ve now seen these three species as well my first for 2021, the Melanostoma scalare I blogged about 10 days ago (First hoverfly, 25 February). We’ll need a bit more sun and warmer temperatures before more hoverflies are out and about though.

210306 Episyrphus balteatus Episyrphus balteatus

210306 eristalis tenax Eristalis tenax

210306 Meliscaeva auricollis Meliscaeva auricollis

First hoverfly

25 Thursday Feb 2021

Posted by sconzani in spring

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Alexanders, British hoverflies, Chequered hoverfly, first hoverfly of year, hoverfly, Melanostoma scalare

Yesterday’s exercise walk was a long meander around local paths looking for wildflowers in bloom (those pictures will be coming on Sunday), and in the process I spotted my first hoverfly of the year, this tiny Chequered hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare), nectaring on Alexanders. With temperatures forecast to rise and the prospect of some sunshine over the coming days, I’m hoping for more … and maybe even my first butterfly of the year. Fingers crossed!

365/366 2020 insects

30 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by sconzani in insects

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British hoverflies, British insects, British leafhoppers, Cicadella viridis, Helophilus trivittatus, hoverfly larva, Italian Alder aphid, leafhopper

These are some of the highlights of my year in insects:

201230 hoverfly larva

I found my First hoverfly larva (and I’ve since found another, though not been able to identify either) …

201230 helophilus trivittatus

… and my first examples of the hoverfly species Helophilus trivittatus.

201230 Crypturaphis grassii

And, very recently, my first Italian Alder aphids, which I’ve since found on another Italian Alder tree on the other side of town.

201230 cicadella viridis

Here’s one I haven’t blogged – it’s a leafhopper, Cicadella viridis, which I saw for the first time during one of the two times this year that I actually caught a train to venture out of my local walking area (this was immediately after our first lockdown ended, when I dared to make two local train journeys – not been on a train or bus since).

261/366 Searching the scabious, 2

17 Thursday Sep 2020

Posted by sconzani in insects, wildflowers

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British butterflies, British hoverflies, British insects, butterflies, Devil's-bit scabious, hoverflies, insects on scabious

One of the side benefits of searching the scabious for rare bees (see yesterday’s piece, Searching the scabious, 1) is that my search also revealed how many other insects were enjoying the essential late summer-early autumn food supply provided by the beautiful wildflower, Devil’s-bit scabious. Amongst them were these five butterflies and a moth: Large white, Red admiral, Small copper, Small tortoiseshell, Small white and a Silver Y.

And also these five hoverflies: Eristalis intricarius, Helophilus trivittatus, Sericomyia silentis, Volucella pellucens and Volucella zonaria.

240/366 Helophilus trivittatus

27 Thursday Aug 2020

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

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British hoverflies, Helophilus trivittatus, hoverfly

Somehow this splendid hoverfly had passed me by, probably many times, without my noticing its presence in my landscape. It wasn’t until one of my Twitter pals (thank you, Tate) posted a photo of his recent sighting at Cosmeston Lakes that I thought ‘Hang on a minute. Why haven’t I seen that?’, and duly set out to find one.

200827 helophilus trivittatus (1)

And, like buses, once one comes along, a whole fleet is soon whizzing past.

200827 helophilus trivittatus (2)

One of the possible reasons I hadn’t noticed it before is because it’s a migratory species so perhaps there haven’t been as many around in previous years.

200827 helophilus trivittatus (3)

Also, Helophilus trivittatus looks a lot like its close relative Helophilus pendulus, but H. trivittatus is actually much more lemon-yellow in colour, and it’s a little longer in the body (which is noticeable once you get your eye in), and it doesn’t have the black stripe down the centre of its face that the other Helophilus species have.

200827 helophilus trivittatus (4)

This handsome hoverfly tends to be found in coastal areas or, as it prefers a damp habitat, along the routes of Britain’s main river systems in the southern half of Britain.