A warm, sunny day, +20° C. Took a short walk in Wandle Meadow.
Umbellifer Longhorn Beetle (Phytoecia cylindrica):
Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria) are out:
Wandle Meadow
At last a decent day after a cold week! +18° C and quite sunny.
I am having a cold right now, but couldn’t sit at home in this weather, so I went to Wandle Meadow. This place doesn’t stop to surprise me!
An Eupeodes ?lundbecki hoverfly, those are very difficult to ID:
Slender Groundhoppers (Tetrix subulata) appear to spread through London! I’ve never seen them at Wandle Meadow before, but today there was no shortage, and they were in a spot I always visit when I go to the place! Previously I’ve found them at Wimbledon Common — and now here!
Wandle Meadow
A cloudy day that turned sunny in late afternoon. +24° C. Went for an evening sunshine walk to Wandle Meadow.
Pseudovadonia livida longhorn beetle, whose larvae develop in soil infested with Fairy Ring Mushroom (Marasmius oreades):
All temporary water pools have dried up this year, and Banded Demoiselles (Calopteryx splendens) hide in thick grass that grows where water used to be. Some females were also seen away from the pool sites:
Wandle Meadow
Went to Wandle Meadow for an evening sunshine walk and to get some foodplants for the caterpillars I am rearing.
On Horseradish, that has just started to flower, there’s quite a lot of shieldbugs.
Crucifer Shieldbug (Eurydema oleracea) you would expect:
But surprisingly, the Hairy Shieldbugs (Dolycoris baccarum) were in much greater numbers:
And Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) was swarming with Early Bumblebees (Bombus pratorum):
Wandle Meadow
Been to Wandle Meadow today. There’s a new replacement bridge over River Wandle being constructed, along with a paved path through the reserve.
Anthophora plumipes male:
Wandle Meadow
Quickly walked through Wandle Meadow.
Never seen Ruddy Darters (Sympetrum sanguineum) there before. As in Bookham Common, they stick to the /almost dried out/ pond, while Common Darter (S. striolatum) was noted away from the water.
On the meadow there’s Lesser Marsh Grasshoppers (Chorthippus albomarginatus), but numbers are low:
Saw several baby frogs in the grass, they must have successfully completed their metamorphosis this year before the ponds dried out.
Wandle Meadow
Went for a quick evening sunshine walk in Wandle Meadow.
For the first time ever saw a Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) there. The closest place to Wimbledon where I’ve met it before was Cannon Hill Common near Raynes Park. The species is expanding its range in Britain as well as in continental Europe. In Russia, for example, it recently colonised Moscow region, and I’ve seen it in good numbers in Southern Urals in 2013.
And now it’s at my London doorstep:
Wandle Meadow
Had a quick walk through Wandle Meadow. Hordes of Anthophora plumipes males fly everywhere, harassing an occasional female.
Phaonia ?subventa muscid:
Wandle Meadow
Been to the local nature reserve. Lots of butterflies and damselflies!
The seasonal ponds have completely dried out, and there’s a profundity of Banded Demoiselles (Calopteryx splendens). Male:
Female:
Wandle Meadow
Walked through Wandle Meadow Nature Reserve. Very windy outside.
Second generation of Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) started to fly:
Plenty of Burnet Companions (Euclidia glyphica) in the grass:
Vlad Proklov's wildlife blog 
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