Day 307 - Bright & Heavenly Bog Hoverfly

The Bog Hoverfly (Sericomyia silentis) on a Teasel

Hi all, Day 307 and you've probably noticed the last couple of days I've dotted around the country with my findings going from Norfolk to Yorkshire. Well today I'm back into Cumbria. When I went across with Dad to see the Bee-eaters we were also keeping an eye out for anything else we might see. After we had been to the quarry where the Bee-eaters were nesting we headed for the RSPB Geltsdale reserve. I didn't find this there though, this was just on a teasel plant on the way back from spotting the Bee-eaters! I was puzzled at first when I saw their name and usual habitats as it seemed quite dry but then I remembered there I could hear a stream nearby the path. This is probably where they usually hang out. Today I'm looking at the Bog Hoverfly. At least I think I am, these are tricky to identify, as I mentioned yesterday there are 250 species of then in the UK and a lot of them look alike - see this page at UK Hoverflies to see what I mean.

So what did I find out about Bog Hoverflies:

Wonderful eyes

• Dealing with their name first it's probably not a surprise that they like damp boggy habitats.

• They particularly like acidic peaty areas like moorland, fens and wet woodland.

• Adults are often found at woodland edges on flowers in the sunlight, exactly where I found this one!

• They can fly strongly and are often found quite a way from water.

• It likes to breed in peaty ditches and small pools.

• The larvae are the type with long tails - often known as rat-tailed larvae. This isn't in fact a tail but a long breathing tube.

A great wasp mimic

• This tube is what lets it live in some pretty stagnant water full of rotting plant matter.

• The adult bodies are about 16mm long so this is one of our largest hoverflies.

• I've got a lot better with wasps lately, I wasn't that keen on them, so I was wary of this bug to start with. They do a pretty good job of imitating a wasp but are completely harmless.

• You'll find them across most of the UK though they aren't that common. There are more the further north and west you go especially in the peaty uplands.

• They have a long flying period and you might be lucky to see them anytime between May and November.

Here's a few links to site with more pictures and information:

And a very patient bug or totally not bothered by me!

Nature Spot - Bog Hoverfly

Last Dragon - Bog Hoverfly

Hoverfly Recording Scheme - Bog Hoverfly

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 306 - Descriptively Horrible Dead Head Hoverflies

Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Hey everyone today's Day 306 and today I'm moving away from Norfolk all the way back to a place I like to go called Silton Forest on the edge of the North York Moors. Now, the main attraction there is not the birds, nor the occasional deer I see there, it's the bugs! They are a part of Nature I have grown to love so much over the last 300 odd days. There are huge amounts of Hogweed (not Giant thankfully :-) that all of the bugs absolutely adore. One particular thing that I saw there was the Dead Head Hoverfly (what a jolly name :-). I love the photos that I got of them, and I hope you do too.

So, here are the facts:

• Now, I want to get one thing straight right away, their name. Dead Head Hoverflies. Why? 

Here the dead head looks like its joined to a skeleton

• Well, it's because if you look at their back, the section behind the eyes and where the wings join on, they have what looks like a Head. It doesn't look very 'alive' in fact it looks like a black skull. So that's where they get their name.

• Their wingspan is about 14mm and the are about the same length as a Drone fly, so about 15mm. 

• They have what's probably one of the shortest lifespans that I have encountered in my blog. Only about 3 - 4 weeks.

• They are found most commonly in England, not so much in Wales. They get less common in Scotland and the further North you go.

Feeding on the umbel of a hogweed

• There aren't many records for Ireland so they are either less common (the less likely option as they are found on the Isle of Wight) or there aren't records of them being there.

• Dead Head Hoverflies like wooded areas and large umbelliferous (great word) flowers, so the Silton Forest with all of the hogweed is ideal for them.

• The larvae develop in stagnant water found in rotting tree stumps, probably the most fussy-about-their-home insect that I have covered so far as well!

• You can see these hoverflies from May through to October with their peak season being July-August.

Close up of one feeding

• On Hoverflies in general, the Dead Head is one of over 250 species of Hoverfly in the UK, Up to 85 species have been found in just one garden according to the Royal Entomological Society!

• Hoverflies, when the need to get away from a predator, can actually fly in bursts of 40 kilometres per hour!

• Also on the subject of predatory defences, they have yellow and black stripes, these are used to warn off predators who think that they are a bee or a wasp.

Here are some links to some more information:

NatureSpot - Dead Head Hoverflies

UK Safari - Dead Head Hoverflies

Royal Entomological Society - Hoverflies

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.