A nice addition to the 'intruders' list from last night. Ocetis ochracea. New for me. Note the extremely long antennae.

Urophora quadrifasciata new for me nr Bristol Parkway today.

Antherophagus pallens found yesterday on Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) in Bengeo garden, scarce silken fungus beetle with interesting life cycle. @nottscoleoptera.bsky.social #phoresis 1/2

Antherophagus female waits on white flowers for any visiting bumblebee which she then secures onto using her mandibles. She only releases bumblebee once it has returned to its nest where she lay her eggs. It is believed that larvae then act as scavengers. #phoresis 2/2

The Ivy in the lane behind the house just keeps giving. Minettia longipennis. A fly I'd previously only seen on Exmoor in the garden of my old friend John Robbins, where I run my moth trap when I'm down there.

What amazing weather this weekend, I hope everyone has filled it with excellent spiders! A highlight for me was seeing this massive Gnaphosa occidentalis with her invert graveyard - remnants of various beetle elytra, earwigs, other Gnaphosa and even a Dysdera. @britishspiders.bsky.social

Episinus sp, which I thought showed some features good for maculipes? It definitely has a white patch on the sternum. Beaten off of a large patch of Ivy growing down over a wall in the lane directly behind the house in Filton, S. Glos. @britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social

Tillus elongatus. 1 of 2 males from the moth trap this morning. My 2nd & 3rd here.

Achenium depressum from the trap this morning.

The 'moth trap intruders' really showed up last night! Highlights incl, Anthracus consputus, Achenium depressum, Acupalpus meridianus, Dasytes aeratus, Microcara testacea, Cantharis figurata, Lesser Stag Beetle & Large Red Damselfy.

Parachronistis albiceps from the trap this morning. New for me. #teammoth #mothsmatter

Scymnus interruptus (Red-flanked Scymnus) in the garden.

Deleaster dichrous from the moth trap this morning. It was too active for a decent photo.

Hello, old friend! One of my favourite beetles now. Deleaster dichrous. It was new to me in the garden last year, and I had 8 in total to my actinic moth trap in Filton. Until the moth group indoor winter meeting back in Feb, I'd not met anyone else who had ever seen it. Anyone else get them?

"Into the valley of Death Rode the 6.." The Charge of the Light Brocade! 😉 This fell right into my hands this morning, and I did have 6. #teammoth #mothsmatter

The Heather Bagworm Pachythelia villosella larva in its 3 cm long case. Rare in UK on heathland in Hampshire & Dorset. When climbing it has the amazing ability to construct a silk ladder! It will pupate on a tree trunk so probably uses this ability to find a suitable spot. Thanks to Lucie Aggas.

One of 4 Bryony Ladybirds in the garden this morning, along with a Bryony Mining Bee. Two rare insects.

Presuming this is Oonops domesticus. It's not really possible to check tibial spines with a hand lens. Found in the bathroom of my caravan on Exmoor around 5.00am this morning. I noticed it because of the short dashes it was making. @britishspiders.bsky.social

Large-flowered Butterwort Pinguicula grandiflora looking splendid on Exmoor y'day.

After months of work my Norfolk Pseudoscorpion guide for @norfolknats.bsky.social is now on the website free to see/download. Covers 20 species recorded in Norfolk so hopefully useful for other areas of UK. norfolknaturalists.org.uk/wp/wp-conten...

Two specialist ant hunting spiders Anagena phalerata and the rare Moon Spider Callilepis nocturna around Prawle, Devon this week

More Foxes & Rooks than moths this morning! Only 7 moths of 5 spp, but nice to get Dark Sword-grass. #FoxOfTheDay

Very useful identification feature for Subilla confinis is coarse sculpturing on head. In contrast, Xanthostigma xanthostigma has much smoother head.

Subilla confinis ♀ found Friday night on house back wall in Bengeo, rarest British snakefly. Now recorded all four British snakeflies here. @kitenet.bsky.social #attractedtolight #Raphidiidae

Gastrolepta anthracina on a nettle leaf in the lane behind the house today. New for me. @chrisraper.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Willowherb Hawk-moth (Proserpinus proserpina), to light at Seabrook, Kent on 30/4. P. Howe #teammoth

Lampronia morosa nfg from the trap in Filton last night. Most welcome and a moth I'd previously only seen at one site on Exmoor. #teammoth #mothsmatter

New for the garden list before I went through the moth trap this morning.

Empis nigritarsis, which I found flying in the kitchen earlier today. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

The Logjammer Hoverfly Chalcosyrphus eunotus is a rare beast. Lays its eggs in partially submerged timber in log jams on small dingle-like streams. Looked for and found it today - chuffed as it is a lifer too!

Opatrum sabulosum a wonderfully "sculptured" beetle - lives in dry sandy habitats. This one found by the footpath coming up from Soar Mill Cove onto Bolberry Down, South Devon. Nationally scarce but not red listed.

At last! After many searches on Ivy (well, in the back lane behind the mainly), Ivy Ladybird Nephus quadrimaculatus. New for me.

Good morning!

Criorhina hoverflies are large impressive bee mimics often associated with ancient woodland & wood pasture. Criorhina asilica ♂ today in Bengeo garden. Scarcest of four species, in flight it resembles mining bee Andrena scotica with very convincing bee hum. @flygirlnhm.bsky.social #saproxylic

Guess who is having b'fast before me!

It's a long time since I've got footage like this. Brief appearance by one I've been trying to help since late Jan too. Be kind. #FoxOfTheDay

Good morning! #FoxOfTheDay

A female Criorhina floccosa on Field Maple flowers in the village woods this morning. This hoverfly is a brilliant mimic of the Common Carder Bee (last photo). Its larvae develop in damp rotting wood, and it is a local species in the UK, found mostly in old woodland. Gamlingay Wood LNR 18/4/26.

Male Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica). A common moth, but it's always a joy to see the first one of the year. #teammoth #mothsmatter

Snap - a new one for me and a real cracker. Found near Ipswich this week.

Robber's Bridge on Exmoor y'day with my Mum and my friend Pete. As some of you are already aware, my Mum has Alzheimer's & Vascular Dementia and it was her first visit to Exmoor in 2 yrs. I saw my 2nd male Redstart of the day / year near here.

An outrageous (well, for me & a 20w actinic) 14 Brindled Beauty in and around the trap this morning. Also, a male St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci) was new to the 'intruders' list. #teammoth #mothsmatter

I watched a female Bombylius major picking up dust in the back lane behind the house in Filton, Bristol earlier. My first of the year, surprisingly. #BeeFlyWatch

Flies don't get much better than this. Nationally Scarce, a female Conops vesicularis in my S. Cambridgeshire garden this afternoon. An endoparasite that attacks Hornets & other social wasps. It jumps onto its hosts, opens the host's abdomen with a blade-like structure (2nd photo), & lays an egg.

Short-necked Oil Beetle Meloe brevicollis on the south Devon coast yesterday - seems to be a good year for them with 4 found during a short search.

Handy tip, thanks @kitenet.bsky.social. Was needing some inspiration...

To say last night's catch was a disappointment would be an understatement, but it was nice to see this Streamer at rest on the fence next to the trap. New for the year. ##teammoth #mothsmatter

Just a fraction of the Jackdaws over the garden in Filton a short while ago. @bristolbirding.bsky.social

A scare Picture-winged fly (fam. Tephritidae) in my S. Cambs garden yesterday. A female Chetostoma curvinerve (Honeysuckle Picturewing). Identified with the aid of the excellent 'A photographic guide to flies of Britain & Ireland' (2026), and confirmed on the UK Diptera FB group. #Diptera