Time to Split

Today was my final day with The Ghost, he's a truly remarkable chap and a damn fine friend of mine. I'm heading west next, just for an over-nighter, before shooting back up to Skye and reality once more. 

The Ghost searching for Dwarf Sedge...in the wrong area

This was at Martin Down NNR earlier today, a site which, somewhat surprisingly, I've never visited before. After successfully locating Dwarf Sedge we ambled back across the downs noting a few nice beetles. It was still far too chilly for flies, despite the bright sunlight.

Lesser Bloody-nosed Beetles doing that thing they always seem to be doing

Exapion ulicis - we found dozens of these clambering around flowering gorse

We also found a couple of Pine Ladybirds emerging from their overwintering sites deep in a gorse thicket

We both realised that, despite the glorious sunshine, the cold wind was suppressing any fly activity. If only we could find a sheltered suntrap somewhere... We headed off for nearby woodland but The Ghost had his own cunning plan involving a pair of secateurs and some nettles. We drove southwards a bit more and ended up someplace deep in the Test Valley.

Despite us now having shelter from the wind, it was still pretty darned chilly. No flies at all (other than a small cloud of dancing Trichocera) were in evidence. So we hit the nettlebed bigtime. Our targets were the stoutest stems of last year's nettle growth. The Ghost was using his secateurs, I just ripped the stems out with my bare hands, trying hard not to make gratuitous 'raaaarrr' noises in the process. I've never split so many nettle stems in my life, I even broke a nail before eventually remembering the penknife in my pocket. 

I'll let you have a brief ponder as to why we were splitting last year's nettle stems. Here's a pic to distract you whilst you have a think

Chromatomyia scolopendra (Agromyzidae) mine on Hart's-tongue Fern

The Ghost had remembered something that I'd completely forgotten about - the fact that I had yet to encounter either of the agromyzids that bore through the centre of nettle stems. Luckily (for me, at least) it didn't take him too long to find this small larva inside a nettle stem. 

This is Phytomyza flavicornis - and a lifer for me!

Pretty soon though, we were finding another species of dipteran larvae in nettle stems. And then shedloads more inside Hogweed stems, sometimes two or three together. This mystery species had obviously blackened rear spiracles with a small spike on each, quite unlike the small pale bulbs of Phytomyza flavicornis. Neither of us knew what they were, so we collected a load to rear through.

I collected seven, I think The Ghost collected about ten

  

Back indoors we did a bit of online research. Before too long I'd figured what it was that we had discovered.

Phytomyza flavicornis - note the diagnostically shaped cephalic skeleton

The three pale, rounded 'bulbs' at the rear end of the Phytomyza flavicornis larva

And now for the second species...

Black chitinised spiracles, located very close together and with a sharp 'thorn' surrounded by distinct papillae

Substantially larger than the Phytomyza flavicornis larva

It was Melanagromyza angeliciphaga, new for both of us. Sweet, I like unexpected bonus species.

We had a quick tally up of our respective 2020 Vision totals. The Ghost has 22 named species (12 flies and 10 beetles) and I have 22 flies and 89 beetles. So it's a close thing thus far...

Just wait until he gets into the thick of it when the flies finally emerge, I won't see him for dust. This ridiculous lead is not going to last long, I just know it!