With the temperature already hitting 20°C by 09:00, I returned from my walk today around the time I’d normally be starting out. Sunny again, but only a gentle breeze today, so much better conditions for insects on the wing.

There were definitely more butterflies about, with Brimstone and Holly Blue still dominant, but an additional 6 species seen – Speckled Wood, Small Heath, Small Blue, Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi), Brown Argus (Aricia agestis) and Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae).

Other insects photographed were a mating pair of Dimorphic Strider (Macrophya montana) sawflies on Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) and another sawfly, Cinquefoil Strider (Macrophya annulata) on Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium). Several Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) were found on one flowering Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) and a large number of Small Green Pot Beetle (Cryptocephalus hypochaeridis) were favouring yellow composites.

There seemed to be a Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) convention taking place on one Curled Dock (Rumex crispus) plant, while nearby several Roesel’s Bush-cricket (Roeseliana roeselii) nymphs played hard to get, leaping off their grass stem perches before I could get the camera focussed.

Leaves on the same Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) yielded a summer form adult alate Common Sycamore Aphid (Drepanosiphum platanoidis) as well as a female Sputnik Spider (Paidiscura pallens) guarding her egg sac. The distinctively shaped egg sac gives this spider species its common English name.

Also found was a leaflet-roll gall caused by nymphs of the Ash Psyllid (Psyllopsis fraxini agg.). This is an aggregate of three species, P. fraxini, P. discrepans and P. distinguenda, distinguishable only by microscopic examination of the males.

Wildflowers photographed today were Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium) and Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa). Common Laburnum (Laburnum anagyroides) has lost its flowers and the seeds are almost mature. Laburnum is a leguminous plant (family Fabaceae) related to gorse, vetches, clovers, sweet peas and lupins, so it is no surprise that their seeds are contained in typical ‘pea pods’.

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