Insect gathering

I decided to make the most of 2 sunny afternoons, yesterday and today, so headed off with pooter, nets and pots to local nettlebeds
Not too much about so early in the year but still a pleasing selection.
Highlights were potting a small brown moth, a small yellow underwing. Not a common moth and a first for me. Also, I disturbed a micro moth Epiblema cirsiana, again, another first.

Epiblema cirsiana at Westland Green

small yellow underwing showing why it is so called.

small yellow underwing at Westland Green

I checked out several locations: mainly the Green at Westland Green and the area opposite the village pub called Brick Kiln Hill.
Plenty of nettle weevils (Phyllobius pomaceus) and scorpion flies (Panorpa germanica) whilst what I thought was a strange hoverfly turned out to be a snipe fly.

nettle weevil

scorpion fly

small fleck winged snipe fly

Other insects taken were brassica beetle, a suspected Cheilosia vulpina hoverfly, but not sure of id. I really need to catch these and use a hand lens to check the diagnostic features. However, the one shown here does appear to have yellow knees, which hints at Ch. vulpina. A rhagonycha fulva was found searching grasses for prey and finally, a slender groundhopper. All of these were new records for my parish archive, taking the list of insect species identified, apart from butterflies, moths, dragonflies and damselflies to over 80. Hope to pass 100 this summer.

brassica beetle

slender groundhopper

Cantharsis nigricans

another angle

Finally, 2 moths at the moth trap last night. I didn't attend to it until late, so may have missed a few.
Poplar hawkmoth and Agonopterix alternella both got onto the year list.

Agomopterix alternella

poplar hawkmoth