Hoverfly sightings w/c 5th October 2025

How many hoverflies are still around after storm Amy?

Date 11th October: Time of recording 12-4pm: Carlton Marsh, Nr Royston. Temp 14 degrees, Sunny.

Hoverflies logged:

Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) 3♀, Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax) 1♂, Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) 1♀, Marmalade (Episyrphus balteatus), Lunuled Aphideater (Eupeodes luniger) 1♀

Other notable species:

Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum, ♂+♀, Willow Emerald Chalcolestes viridis, ♂ there were 2 suspect the other might have been male also. Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta latreille, Shaggy Scalycap Pholiota squarrosa, Cola Nut Gall Andricus lignicola on Oak, Cherry Galls Cynips quercysfolii on oak, 2 Speckled Wood Parage aegeria occasionally dancing, Comma Polygonia c-album basking in the sun, Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina, Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale drying its wings, 2 Roe deer Capreolus capreolus presume mother and child due to size, 1 calling Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi but not seen.

Date 9^th October: Time of recording 3-5pm: Barnsley Main: Temp approx. 16 degrees but quite breezy so felt colder.

Decided due to the lack of hoverflies took a walk down a path known to be good for fungi.

Fungi seen: Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus, Downy Milkcap Lactarius pubescens, Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria, Brown Roll-Rim Paxillus involutus, Blusher Amanita rubescens, Birch Knight Tricholoma fulvum, Plums and Custard Tricholomopsis rutilans, there was also a possible sighting of a Deathcap Amanita phalloides, but it wasn’t fully out so will have to go back and check.

No hoverflies seen but it’s always important to record when one is not found as much as when they are. But I did find the following:

Green Shieldbug Pulonena prasina  , several Common wasp Vespula vulgaris, Blowfly Calliphora sp, Greenbottle Lucillia sericata. 7 Spot ladybirds Coccinella 7-punctata still huddled together see above.

Disclaimer: I am no mycologist, but apart from the Deathcap all these were logged and accepted in iNaturalist, but if anyone sees a misidentification please comment below.

Date 7th & 8th October nothing of note seen, cloudy and overcast days.

Date 6^th October : Time of recording 3-4pm Garden, Temp approx 19 degrees, Sunny.

Despite being sunny there wasn’t much hoverfly activity Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) ♀ and Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) ♀.

There were however loads of Harlequins Harmonia axyridis on the sunny side of the house. Anyone else seen this eruption?

Date 5^th October: Time of recording 3-4pm, Location Barnsley Main. Gusty winds just after storm Amy.

Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) 9♀+1♂, I do wonder whether there were some Hairy-eyed Banded (Sryphus torvus) as not all were captured. Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) 1♀ on Bristly Oxtongue Picris echiodes.

So the answer was not many hoverfly species but a few of the common ones were finding warmth in a sunlit area, let's see what I get on the Ivy bush tomorrow.

Other notable species:

3 Speckled wood Parage aegeria, 1 Red Admiral Vanessa atlanta, 1♂ Common Blue Polyommatus icarus as below, 7 Spot ladybirds Coccinella 7-punctata, huddled together see below Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina, Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris, Pea gall Cynips divisa as below.

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