Hay Wood, Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire

Hay Wood is a Forestry Commission wood. It has a wide bridleway running through it with wide verges and catches the sun throughout the day. When I visited yesterday it was a lovely sunny day with a bit of a breeze and there were lots of  insects in the verges particularly where the bramble was in blossom which attracted loads of bees and Hoverflies.

Hoverfly - Helophilus pendulus

An attractive and easily identified Hoverfly. I also noticed that it has quite a distinctive whining buzz when in flight.

Hoverfly - Volucella pellucens

A large bumblebee like hoverfly which is also superficially  similar to Leucozona lucorum but distinguished by its black thorax and scutellum.

Hoverfly - Myathropa florea

Ladybird - No Spot !

Ladybirds are actually very varied in their markings so this could be a 2-spot, 6-spot, 10 spot or another. First one I have seen without spots, but it is not unusual.

Moth - Nemophora degeerella

Small moth with huge antenna! I think it is the male with the large antenna.

Moth - Red-necked Footman - Atolmis rubricollis

Looks like it has big orange eyes but its just neck markings

SloeBug - Dolycoris baccarum

First Grasshoppers of the year

There were a lot of these small grasshoppers about

Ichneumon Wasp

The one that got away!

Queen Hornet - Vespa crabro

As I was leaning over some vegetation photographing Hoverfly this HUGE slow moving wasp appeared from the undergrowth. I managed to get this rubbish shot then it went by my legs and disappeared before I could get a decent picture much to my utter frustration. However even though the picture is out of focus and blurred you can make out the unmistakable characteristics of a Queen Hornet in terms of size colouration and markings. Google Queen Hornet Pictures to see some decent examples.

Grove Hill

German Wasp - Vespa germanica

This was a big wasp, on it's own, and I think it was a Queen. Very similar to the Common Wasp but identified as German Wasp by its facial markings. Three dots as opposed to an"anchor" shape marking.

Common Spotted Orchid - Dachtylorhiza fuchsii

Very common but attractive Orchid

Large Skipper - Ochlodes venata

Starting to see these butterflies now

Sawfly - Tenthreinidae sp

Another Sawfly pic! But this time he was sitting with wings open which shows off the markings and colouration.

Snipe Fly - Rhagio scolopacea

Recent Highlights at Oversley Wood

Snipe Fly - in its characteristic downward facing position on the trunk of a tree.

Compare with this one which got itself trapped in my Kitchen

This is some kind of Bush Cricket Nymph, I think, not sure what the species is but there were quite a few about so maybe I will get a better clue when they mature.

Froghopper - Cercopis arcuata

Cardinal Beetle - Pyrochroa serraticornis

A selection of Flies

Scorpion Flies - Panorpidae

I Have been trying to get some decent pictures of Scorpion Flies

These were taken at Oversley Wood last weekend.

The first 2 pictures are of Females and the last is a Male and you can tell this by the shape of the end of the Abdomen. The females have a tapered end and the male has a bulbous end which is his genitalia.

I saw a fly, and the fly I saw was a Sawfly..

Lots of sawflies about at the moment, both in the garden and out and about. Here is a small selection.