Greater Manchester Wildlife

thanks for that. it was a ponderous thing, but there could have been more than one, a species expanding by the look of it.

pic of it buzzing

nice walk today

small scabious railway, hoary ragwort, hoary ragwort, wild marjoram, Narrow Leaved Everlasting pea hinds, wild fennel hinds, musk mallow, imperforate st johns wort hinds, water figwort, wild privet, sneezewort, petty spurge

Long-horned Black Legionnaire - Beris geniculata, Common Orange Legionnaire - Beris vallata, shaded broad bar moth, Plagiognathus arbustorum plant bug, Common Red Soldier Beetle - Rhagonycha fulva,Noon fly - Mesembrina meridiana,  Leptopterna dolabrata plant bug, emmelina monodactyla plum moth, Palomena prasina Green Shieldbug, Chequered Hoverfly - Melanostoma scalare, Rhingia campestris hover fly, Cleg Fly - Haematopota pluvialis, Galerucella sagittariae leaf beetle, gatekeeper, common green grasshopper, Plagiognathus arbustorum Family: Miridae, Watercress Leaf Beetle (Phaedon aeruginosa).

Moth Picture is Un ID huge great buzzing thing with orange wings

Some better pictures of one seen earlier this year.

Ah, I see, Water Scavenger Beetle is a  misnoma, in this case.

Photographs can be tricky. Have you got the Joy keys (from about 1900) and the New British Beetles not in Joy book by Hodge & Jones. The AIDGAP FSC book is being updated and I don't know if the new book is out. That will show a wealth of characters that separate the various Cercyon species, mostly found on the underside.

Do you have a voucher specimen for the Sphaeridium? Not something I a familiar with.

Quick visit

Main thing was fish today, Three spined stickle back, three pike, one monster, and what appear to be a shoal of roach all in the canal.

Working my way through the bugs, Most Leaf Hoppers will remain unidentified as this is precarious to get correct. Nice pic of a spider catching a soldier fly.

Also found some southern marsh orchids in the field near withins. 

Is that you bodger who is mooching about in my site?

It won't be Floating Water-plantain, and your photograph shows the young leaves of Common Water-plantain. Luronium has rounded leaves and a different vein pattern.

I have studied every pond in your square but it would be interesting to combine our records and threats never cease.

Every wetland in Bury was a wetland number so it would be great if you could use that.

Anyway contact me directly rather than on this forum. Try my website, which I am updating. The inverts stuff has been overhauled.

www.davebentleyecology.co.uk

Three visits this week still working way through bugs but so far

In flower

Dotted Loosestrife hinds Yellow loosestrife very large cinquefoil type potentilla garden escapee* musk mallow, bush vetch, hinds

ladies bedstraw broad leaved willow herb himalayan balsam railway

Fairy Flax, Marsh heleborine* (Over 50 plants in two large patches more than last year) Wild Thyme* two patches (More than last year) himalayan balson, rough hawkweed,  all self heal all lower hinds despite the motor bikes and excavations.

Lesser stitchwort, lupin, meadow sweet redshank honey suckle warth fold.

Huge swathe of southern marsh and common spotted orchids swan lodge

Sheep sorrel, thyme leaved speedwell southern marsh orchid meadow sweet dip

Scentless mayweed dam

White water lilly spenmoor ponds.

marsh bedstraw hemp agrimony bb canal

common spotted and southern marsh orchid withins lots

Bugs some seen before

Meadow brown male, Thricops diaphanus big orage blue bottle type fly Larvae are carnivorous on other larvae in fungi*, Haematopota crassicornis Black-horned Cleg these bite but very pretty*, Cymus melanocephalus ?  ground bug, Cheilosia illustrata Hover fly Pupie live on Hogweed roots on hogweed dam. Anthocoris nemoralis on willow hinds plant bug, Ptychoptera contaminata big black crane fly, Grypocoris stysi plant bug nettle. Agriotes pallidulus click beetle, Cantharis cryptica orange fly, Thaumatomyia notata tiny yellow grass fly, Thick-legged Hoverfly - Syritta pipiens, Neria cibaria stilt fly very long legs*, Depressaria daucella  moth caterpiller on hemlock water dropwort, .

* Pics

Thanks Geoff for the info on the micro moth. They always perplex me s that is my first micro moth. Warm weather has brought loads of bugs out. Focus has centred on the Hinds end of the canal area, a large bank of plants near capsticks and around crow tree farm. These are taking a long time to ID with some 'parked.' These are sightings from Friday Sunday and today. I've still some to ID and a few have ben listed before..

Rhagio scolopaceus snipe fly, Rhogogaster viridis sawfly, Phyllobius (Metaphyllobius) pomaceus weavil, rosebay willowherb canal, Chrysopilus cristatus snipe fly, harlequin Ladybird - Harmonia axyridis spectabilis, ichneumon suspiciosus, episyrphus balteatus hinds hover fly, Dolichopus popularis dagger fly hinds, tachinids fly Nemorilla floralis, smooth hawkbeard hinds, ectemnius continuus digger wasp hinds, tenthredo mesomelas sawfly, Neuroctena anilis orange fly big eyes, Atractotomus mali nymph bug, 10 Spot Ladybird - Adalia decempunctata bimaculata form hinds, volucella pellucens fly, anthocoris nymph common plant bug, Liocoris tripustulatus plant bug, Seioptera vibrans picture wing fly, Murky-legged Black Legionnaire - Beris chalybata fly, tenthredo mesomelas? sawfly, Europiella genus plant bug,Birch Catkin Bug - Kleidocerys resedae,  Tenthredo mesomelas  sawfly, Common Orange Legionnaire - Beris vallata robber fly, Phratora vitellinae Brassy Willow Beetle, Crepidodera aurata willow flea  beatle, Nemopoda nitidula ensign fly, Tenthredo livida, Phaonia angelicae fly, Anthonomus ulmi weavil big hooter, Anthomyia pluvialis fly, Scolopostethus affinis plant bug, Baccha elongata hoverfly hinds, Hoplocampa sp sawfly, Birch Shieldbug Elasmostethus intersinctus, pemphredon lugubris mournful wasp, blue green algae.

I will expand some to give details of habits later.

Pics are of a 10 spot lady bird form and harlequin ladybird form, emerginng damsel fly, blue eyed grass a ruby taled wasp and two plant bugs.

-- Edited by IanB on Monday 6th of June 2011 11:52:57 PM

Still got sopme bugs to ID from Friday

Weather gone much colder so bugs were very quite apart from damsel flies which were emerging from the ponds on reeds. Managed to get one as it emerged and sinlarly a sawfly. Due to the poor weater concentrated on the Hinds mill site and Radcliffe Cem.

In flowers

Hinds Single specimens of Blue eyed grass and early purple marsh orchid almost certainly blow in from the Lower hinds site on the other side of the river. Green Alkanet, hedge woundwort, ribbed melliot, tufted vetch, smooth tare, creeping jenny, siberian iris (white) meadow vetchling, zig zag clover, hedge bindweed

Radcliffe Cem Purple loosestrife, branched bur reed,  marsh bedstraw  water plantain

Sounds fine to me. Its leaves were like a plain columbine.

Yesterday

In flower HedgeWoundwort Hinds, yellow loosestrife hinds, meadow vetchling hinds, tutsan starting hinds

canadian pondweed canal, ivy leaved duckweed canal, common duckweed canal, monkey flower irwell, skull cap river,More Ragged Robin, pink purslane, figwort warthfold river

bugs Tumbling Flower Beetle Mordellochroa abdominalis, (If correct acording to NBN this is a first for the north west. A tiny beetle feeding on Cow Parsley. Three independent ID on similar beetle and can't find any similar species. Its the black and red shelled beetle. Almost certainly much more common so keep your eyes open)

Tumbling Flower Beetle (Anaspis maculata) Spider Clubiona stagnatilis spen moor ponds, flea beetle Phyllotreta sp on reeds spenmoor, common frog hopper dam loads sprining intio action, Liocoris tripustulatus nettle plant bug, Cantharis figurata soldier beetle,

Showery walk am

Last week looked at the ponds in the Radcliffe Cem and deduced many of them were originally planted.

Dip today in Marshy area behind woos nab Many similar seen in flower Early Marsh Orchid, common water crowfoot dip, ragged robin, icommon water starwort dip, celery leaved buttercup cup, lesser spearwort water cress fools water cress, water forgetmenot, brooklime.

Spenmoor in flower  Marsh Cinquefoil. creeping thistle, broad leaved pondweed , pedulas sedge hinds

Others Gaint Hogweed, Silver Weed . figwort,

A blue flower can't ID Hinds presume garden escapee .

Bugs a very curious mayfly with huge yellow eyes which i'm sure is a newly emerged pond olive Water ladybird, spenmoor, meadow plant bug hinds, Hawthorn shield bud, Rhogogaster viridis  green sawfly and a stunning caddis fly which are often impossible to id as adults not because  they are not distinctive because the are but little reference material exists.

Other bugs and beetles yet to ID many from that curios carrot plant.

-- Edited by IanB on Sunday 29th of May 2011 09:47:17 PM

visits to specific sights

lower hinds-in flower nice patch of blue eyed grass, more than last years two specimins. southern marsh orchid. 

Radcliffe Cem ponds....These are created in last 5 years but are impressive in flower Tufted Loosestrife, Ragged Robin, fools water parsley pond water crowfoot lesser spearwort, water forget me not, marsh cinquefoil, brooklime, yellow flag iris, southern orchid hemlock water dropwort and full of bugs..

Marl pits just over the fence from the Cemm ponds and over 100 yeas old Marsh Cinquefoil lots, lesser spearwort, round leaved crowfoot but being trampled by horses and cleavers

green grasshopper,

some scarab and leaf beetles to ID will update later

Mooch today

Spent most of thed day peering a long row of bushes at th end of the canal/hinds but saw

in flower bulbous buttercup, hop trefoil, marsh thistle dip, hairy tare, elderflower, hedgerow cranesbill, fools water cress (NIF) groundsel , mouse ear

flies Ptychoptera contaminata dip cranefly, all black Melanogaster hirtella hover fly lots of these recent emergence, green lace wing Chrysopa perla, scorpion fly panorpa germanica,  cinnabar moth,

Lots more to ID will update later

Pics include round leaved crowfoot seen earlier and two cracking little weevils

Two visits today and on thursday between showers

In flower creeping cinquifoil dip, common hawkweed vulgata, mouse eared hawkweed, rough hawk beard.

Decent chap on dam pointed out the sanderling.

Lower Hinds things just starting with Orchids, wild thyme comming through

Caddis Fly Limnephilus lunatus ,Foriegn invader Harlequin ladybird bad news for native species Harmonia axyridis, , ly Mayfly Pond Olive, Fly Sciomyzidae - Tetanocera orange black wings lays its eggs in snails, Hover fly Parasyrphus punctulatus, blue midge Sciapus genus hinds, bee bombus terrestris, hover fly Xylota segnis , hover fly Orthonevra brevicornis hover fly helophilus pendulus, hover fly syrphus ribesii,  hover fly Eristalis pertinax Marmalade Hover Fly (Episyrphus balteatus and small nettle weavil Phyllobius roboretanus. and first common blue butterfly

pics are all hoverflies

-- Edited by IanB on Saturday 14th of May 2011 07:41:24 PM

-- Edited by IanB on Saturday 14th of May 2011 07:44:22 PM

long walk railway, through hinds, dip, dam wall. canal, coney green radcliffe cem, withins, spenmoor.

Inflower

hinds white clover, (bud) curled dock, orange hawkweed, catoneaster, french cranesabill, siberian iris, canal Hieracium Vulgata, hemlock water dropwort, cem sweet woodruffe.

Bugs

Hinds Pretty sure splendid named soldiwer fly Murky-legged Black Legionnaire - Beris chalybata, wasp ichneumon suspiciosus, hoverfly Platycheirus tarsalis , weevil Phyllobius pomaceus on ladies mantle, Mitopus morio harvestman,

also spenmoor and around cem,

Stable Fly - Stomoxys calcitrans hover fly Xylota segnis, snipe fly  Rhagio vitripennis, Lygus rugulipennis Tarnished Plant Bug, water lilly beetle Galerucella aquatica , leaf beetle Prasocuris phellandrii likes marsh marigold

marl pits red, azure and blue tailed damsels

dip and dam crane flies Tipula oleracea. and tiger crane fly nephrotoma flavescens

There's quite a few unreported that are unidentified despite good photos, various parasitic wasps in particular and flies. Beetles are more successful particularly to genus but weevils can be difficult. But I think the aim of giving a good overview of this area in bugs and under water life which was the endeavour is on target. And for others have a go. Its a bit of fun and there's plenty on the net to help. Flikr NBN and various specialist sites are good starts. I've just invested in a sawfly guide as these are hard to trace. I'm turning into a bug, but they are compelling with life cycles etc and many beetles and flies are simply stunning. 
-- Edited by IanB on Sunday 8th of May 2011 10:01:59 PM

-- Edited by IanB on Sunday 8th of May 2011 11:01:37 PM

Short walk in the sun before the rain yesterday brought some rewards

Handsome Fly Leucozona lucorum Hover Fly Xylota sylvarum, Bramble Sawfly Arge cyanocroce, Dance fly - Empis tessellata , hover fly helophilus pendulus, Eristalis pertinax tapered drone fly,

russian comfrey, pencilled cranes bill, dames violet, ivy leaved toadflax hinds, yellow rattle dip,

Cantharis livida soldier beetle, Oulema gallaeciana leaf beetle, Athous haemorrhoidalis click beetle, (?) common earwig forficula auricularia, Oedemera lurida, Crepidodera fulvicornis leaf beatle, Araniella sp. cucurbitina green orb web spider,

few more flies to id and some other sawflies that are difficult

-- Edited by IanB on Saturday 7th of May 2011 07:03:28 PM

Did a dip on a pond on spenmoor yesterday

there were a few water fleas

one seen before on previous post numerous in this pond at least Scapholeberis mucronata like the standard water flea Dapnia pulex but with it head turned 180 degrees as its lives immediatelly under the water film feeding on algae.

Another new tiny one had to study it to make sure 0.5mm size fat little burper head and body all one very common among plants Chydorus sphaericus.

Its clear that each body of water is very distinctive. The above were only found at this one small pond so far.

In withins res found only here so far fresh water limpet and Diaptomus copecod very similar to cyclops .

In another pond on spenmoor 250m from the one dipped previously reported water flea Bosmina Longirostris again commoin with a big hooter found no where else. 

I'm sure this trend wil continue........

Thanks for your help Henry, Wood aven I should have had that I noticed some earlier and today on the railway line. This is a new location for it in the Hinds mill site.  I think it is a saxifrage but not meadow the leaves aren't quite right, too pointed. I will assume its a garden variety so when i purchase bedding plants I'll have a shufty.

Went for a late pm walk to see the artic terns and also found

Nomada goodeniana cuckoo bee canal

Stonefly Plecoptera Nemouridae can't ID beyond family dam wall

Cantharis decipiens and Cantharis cryptica soldier beetles dam wall,

myathropa florae hover fly, helophilus pendulus hover fly, myathropa florae hover fly better picture of leucozona and rhingia campestris hover flies,

There a lot of hover flies out or maybe they stand out more

In flower Yellow Flag Iris, Greater Periwinkle, canal and geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower' escapee again in hinds 

-- Edited by IanB on Friday 6th of May 2011 11:58:12 PM

Quick mooch

doves foot cranesbill, hedgerow cranesbill, blackberry in flower

volucella bombylans Hover Fly mimics bumble bee, leucozona lucorum hover fly, empis tessellata fly, handsome fly Tachina feras found across Europe as far north as  Its larvae are parasitoids of moth caterpillers noctuidae) bee osmia rufa, blue tailed damsel, click beetle poss Sericus brunneus?

Dip in withins tuerned up three new water fleas Simocephalus, eurycerus (lamellatus ?), diaphanosoma (Brachyurum?) and a new cyclops diaptomus

And a yellow flower and white flower can't ID assume garden escapes

two long walks am

plants in flower

wood aven, salad burnet spanish bluebell, hawthorn, ransoms, fringecups,  self heal, wild stawberry, brod leaved dock, comfrey, sunspurge, columbine,welsh poppy, horse chestnut, large bittercress, common bistort, ground elder, apple blossom, candy tuft, bilberry, (yarrow in flower outside tetrad) charlock although it was on private land.

Beetles Haliplus fluviatilis, Haliplus ruficollis, Lochmaea capres found on gorse, longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis, 22 spot ladybird psyllobora punctata, scarab beetles Aphodius fimetarius, Aphodius prodromus, Aphodius haemorrhoidalis 

Bugs Greenfly, Small Copper butterfly, frog hopper,  spotted cranefly nephrotoma appendiculata, green shield bug Palomena prasina, drone fly eristalis tenax

Hover Flies melanostra scalare, melanostra scalare, rhleucozona lucoruminga campestris, syrphus ribeshi, merodon equestris?, leucozona lucorum, Aphodius fimetarius ,

Animal Wild Mink

Have to ID spiders and flies still

Very pleasent if hot day mooch

Plenty of flowers comming into flower buttercup hawthorn vetch

Grasshopper Meadow Grasshopper month early

3 Red damsels

Water spider from canal near dip so they are the length of the canal

and loads of beetles on the dam again to ID later

Great diving beetle larvae

Rove Beetle Philonthus Genus,  Sitona lineatus weavil, ground beetle Agonum marginatum, bright green weavil Phyllobius pyri  green variant, dark weavil Sitona cambricus click beetle Agriotes obscurus, Varied carpet beetle (Anthrenus verbasci.

Two flower bugs to ID and some flies and a curious water worm think nais

and a snail with good camoflage

-- Edited by IanB on Thursday 21st of April 2011 11:49:50 PM

-- Edited by IanB on Thursday 21st of April 2011 11:50:41 PM

-- Edited by IanB on Monday 25th of April 2011 11:16:13 PM

Another good result on the dam and at the end ofthe canal

Large Red Damsel

Beetles

Oulema gallaeciana leaf beetle, Zicrona caerulea .blue shield bug, Sitona striatellus weavil, Kidney-spot ladybird Chilocorus renipustulatus, Phaedon cochleariae mutard beetle, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata 14 spot lady bird, Oomorphus concolor leaf beetle, Hypera postica clover weevil and two crab spider to ID

Walk around very blowey so not much about so resorted to doing soke dipping

Caught my own water spider but tiny. At the end of the canal a water measurer, water cricket whirley gig beetle and a diving beetke to ID later. In withins two fresh water limpets  Ancylus  lacustris. On a pool on spenmoor tramshorns huge pond snail and some zebra ostracods.

Lots of orange tips, hover flies and bees out. In flowerr lots of cuckoo flower 

Just been doing some peering and found two tyupes of water mite difficult to ID 300 species in uk but the big one i think is limnochares aquaticus. new type of water flea bosima longirostris tiny flea with a hooter like an elephant there one next to the ostracod verty common and small both from the pool on spenmoor.

-- Edited by IanB on Tuesday 12th of April 2011 11:04:48 PM