Bob Chapman

Ah! When I downloaded my pictures from the other day I see that my first Tephritid of the year was not Tephritis cometa but actually T.divisa. Post in haste regret at leisure!

Another day, another Tephritid, this time Tephritis vespertina, in the garden with a good array of other insects enjoying the sunshine. Eristalis tenax & pertinax (m&f), Tree Bumblebee and at least 2spp of solitary bees.

@dipteristsforum.bsky.social First Tephritid of the year today here in S. Hants, Tephritis cometa in the garden.

I had forgotten until I saw this, but many years ago in the woods of New England we ran a trap with a huge silver foil sheet, very effective, although never tried a white sheet at the same site to compare.

Any introduced species will be using resources to survive and since it is unlikely that any of the resources they use are not already being used by other species, there will be competition. If the introduced species does well it will inevitably have costs for other species.

Disappointing to see an increase in Feral Pigeon influence in the Rock Dove population of The Mullet, Co Mayo when I was there recently. Perhaps 1/20 showed either "chequers" or darkened plumage. #ornithology #birds

I came across what seems to be Leopoldius calceatus on a low Ivy hedge on the Hants coast today not sure if this is a new county record but certainly a first for me. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

I have risked it, looks pretty good until around midnight, then grim, I may well turn off before I retreat.

Not bad for such a wet day, I did not even run my trap last night and still to get Barred Hook-tip this year, although being on the edge of the Forest I usually get the odd one. Good luck, tomorrow does not look great either.

A "lifer" for me in the garden actinic trap last night, a Striped Hawk-moth, in very good condition as was the Small Marbled, a moth I had not seen before this year's influx. #teammate #hantsmoths

Thanks, do you find the Skinner combination significantly better than the 2x25W tubes? I am still using a 125W mv for one of my traps, but it's days are numbered so looking at a replacement setup.

What trap are you using? I ran 3 traps of different kinds on the Hants coast last night and the total for all 3 did not come close to yours.

I had them at two sites, both new, this year and have heard of a good few others, not sure if it is just a good year or if they migrate.

I'm thinking just a very dark Ectophasis crassipennis?

Any Dipterist's out there, does this look like Phasia aurigera to you? Picture taken today in S.Hants garden also lots of Ectophasia crassipennis about too. #Diptera #flies

Mothing continues to be good here in S.Hants, with Lunar-spotted Pinion NFG last night, but top spot went to the ladybird Calvia decemguttata aka the Jersey Ladybird, I got one a couple of weeks ago but it escaped before I got a picture. #teammoth #Hantsmoths

Having yesterday bemoaned my failure to see a Lappet for many, many years, I caught one today! A wonderful beast indeed, but sort of eclipsed by this rather tatty Dark Umber, which is strangely very infrequently recorded in SW Hants and the first that I can ever recall seeing. #teammoth #Hantsmoths

Certainly a common bird in S. Hampshire these days, I have just been watching some in my front hedge. Goldcrest only seem to outnumber them in pure pine stands these days.

Extraordinary! Did not get a fraction of that down south and not seen a Lappet in years, actually maybe decades.

Fig Leaf Skeletoniser NFG this morning, I had only ever seen the larval feeding signs before and that not locally. #teammoth #Hantsmoths

Ran 2 traps in the S.Hants garden last night, 125w MV & 20w actinic. More moths of more species in the MV but actinic had all the quality and all the migrants, including Small Mottled Willow, Bordered Straw and 2 Small Marbled (new moth for me). #teammoth

A new moth, at least as an adult, from the garden last night Acrocercops brongniardella. #TeamMoth

Thanks, I thought it was just me, hope ot gets fixed soon.

Q. Is iRecord down at present? I don't seem to be able to enter records, either I cannot login at all or if I can the records don't upload. The backlog is growing fast!

There were a few sites for them in Mayo 35 years ago, especially in the Moy Valley, I think the records should have made it onto the appropriate database. Good to know they are still there.

An interesting Villa from a weedy field margin beside the Beaulieu River today, photos only unfortunately.

I saw my first White Admiral of 2025 today in the New Forest when looking for hoverflies. @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

Much of the Thrift habitat at Needs Ore has been lost to management for waders. Although it might seem unlikely, it should be noted that the record there was by someone who had just returned from Lundy and I believe had the same bag with them, so possibly a stowaway?

I tried a lure at the site that produced the only known Hants record without success, of course, but figured I had the lure, I'm in Hants so what else was I going to do with it!

The only butterfly I saw in the garden today was this newly minted Dark Green Fritillary, I see the odd one most years but typically much later in the season. @ukbutterflies.bsky.social