2020 March 10 morning

 

   Mr E sends a photograph of a midge on March 8.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I cannot be sure whether this is a non-biting midge of the Family Chironomidae or a phantom midge of the Family Chaoboridae, although I am leaning fairly strongly toward the latter.  Whichever it is, the plumed antennae show that it is a male. Neither Family bites.

 

Probably a phantom midge (Dip.: Chaoboridae)  Mr E

 

   He also sends two photographs of a moth from Brentwood Bay, March 8. Jeremy Tatum writes:  I think this is Eupithecia annulata or E. olivacea,  a frustrating pair of pugs that, despite our best efforts, neither Libby Avis nor I always feel able to determine with total certainty.

 

Eupithecia annulata/olivacea  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Mr E

 

Eupithecia annulata/olivacea  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Mr E

    Gordon Hart writes from the Highlands:  Even though we had a heavy frost yesterday morning, Monday, March 9, it was much warmer by early afternoon when we saw a Comma sp. fly by. We saw it twice but at a distance and flying, so I was unable to get a photo. By size and colour, I thought it was a Satyr Comma, which I have seen in early March in other years here. The Purple Heather had several species of bees and flies today as well, including the early Black-tailed Bumblebee, Bombus melanopygus, and Yellow-faced Bumblebee, B. vosnesenskii.  I have attached a photo of B. vosnesenskii, and a Drone Fly Eristalis tenax perched nearby.

 

Yellow-faced Bumblebee Bombus vosnesenskii (Hym.: Apidae)  Gordon Hart

 

Drone Fly Eristalis tenax (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Gordon Hart