Female Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria)

Dear Readers, is there anything nicer than sitting in the garden swathed in blankets like some Victorian lady in a bathchair, while your husband gets stuck into the brambles and the duckweed? Admittedly there is some frustration at not being able to help out, but only a tiny bit, as I can now hobble around and take photographs of my beloved invertebrates for your delectation.

Now the photo above shows one of two hornet-mimic hoverflies that are currently zipping around the southern UK, and I must confess that I think I’ve been getting the species wrong on occasion. The one above is Volucella zonaria,  the larger of the two species – if you look closely, you can see that there is a subtle gradation of colour on the abdomen. The first segment is chestnut-coloured, the second one is gold, and the last one is a cream colour. This is the UK’s largest hoverfly (15.5 – 19 mm).

Volucella inanis (female)

This one is the ‘other’ hornet-mimic hoverfly, Volucella inanis. You can see that the first segment is the same colour as the rest of the abdomen. I rather suspect that I’ve been misnaming some of these hoverflies in previous posts, but then there’s always something new to learn! These flies are about half a centimetre smaller than Volucella zonaria, but it’s always difficult to judge when they’re buzzing about. What is notable about both species is the way that they seem like little yellow/orange blips as they zoom about, making them the sort of insect that I always leap (or currently hobble) towards.

Anyway, what else is going on? My poor husband is cutting back what he describes as a ‘bramble’, and only later do I realise that it’s a rambling rose. Oh well, they’re in the same family and both are prickly, so it’s an easy mistake to make. I see the leaf-cutter bees have been busy too…

And I’m seeing quite a few of these little guys – one pinged in through the office window last week (which is on the first floor, so quite a jump) and then pinged back out again with a little persuasion. Such a delicate little creature!

Southern Oak Bush-Cricket (Meconema meridionalie)

This is a Southern  Oak Bush-Cricket. I have absolutely no oak in the garden, so I’m a little confused about where these insects have come from – they first appeared in the UK in 2001 but they certainly appear to be branching out. Excitingly, it is apparently a predator of the Horse-Chestnut Leaf Miner, and we could definitely do with something to eat some of them.

Horse Chestnut leaves looking the worst for wear.

The Southern Oak Bush-Cricket has certainly been increasing in numbers in the UK – look at the data by decade below. Wouldn’t it be interesting if, as species such as the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner make themselves at home in the UK as temperatures increase, their predators follow?

And so, it was a nice couple of hours watching someone else work, and considering how overgrown the whole place has gotten. It really does need some tidying (not much, but a bit), and some pruning. I shall just have to be patient, and sort out the tree surgeon for the autumn. At least the wildlife is having a great time.

Honeybee on Hylotelephium (or Sedum as it used to be!)