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Finally getting round to processing my photos from last week's trip. Here's Gentiana nivalis (Alpine Gentian) Ben Lawers' most iconic alpine.

Hi Mark Lynes wondered if I could get your thoughts on this? Hoping its Alchemilla neomanifesta from a known grid on Creag an Lochain. Heavy rain made checking the petiole hairs difficult but they're definitely not completely adpressed. Thanks

Tipula alpium male from Creag an Lochain, Ben Lawers NNR. A mainly upland but not strictly alpine species despite its name.

Cavariella saxifragae a cute little aphid on Saxifraga aizoides. New to Ben Lawers NNR, only two previous UK records the last of which was in 1961, otherwise only known from the French Pyrenees. Thanks to Bob Dransfield of the excellent InfluentialPoints website for confirmation

Just a bit bigger than the plants at Micheldever on Saturday

2/x Some very cool flies like Cryptaciura rotundiventris (mines Angelica leaves), the montane hoverfly Platycheirus melanopsis, the dance fly Hilara matrona, and parasite fly Phebellia glauca. The fly list might hit 500 species (much to check).

Hieracium eriophorum from the dunes at Moliets today. Very distinctive, very wooly, mostly prostrate and a local endemic to c. 80km of dunes in Landes, SW France

Cork oak twig wasp (Plagiotrochus amenti) new to Britain, localities around London. A galler of Cork oak (Quercus suber) and known pest of cork production in Iberia. Probably introduced with small trees by horticulture trade. Paper in prep. #Cynipidae #Fagaceae #Gallwasps

Important change to Phaonia tuguriorum & P. scutellata in the UK checklist update in DD. Hopefully I've understood and the below is correct meaning the very common species with pale bases to the palpi is now P. signata and P. tuguriorum is now the name for the rare species

A new muscid genus just added to Falk Flickr flickr.com/photos/6307520…. Lispe has 10 British representatives. They love the bare wet mud of upper saltmarsh, river banks and lake margins. Both adults and larvae are predatory. Adults have an elaborate courtship.

Six more British Muscidae genera just added to my Flickr site: Limnospila, Macrorchis, Orchisia, Pseudolimnophora, Schoenomyza and Spanochaeta flickr.com/photos/6307520…. Images & detailed species accounts. Biodiversity in the raw. Look at that colourful Schoenomyza litorella head.

We have 3 fab #WildFlowerID webinars lined up for you this spring. Led by national experts. All absolutely free! 22 Apr: Mulleins with Mike Crewe 7 May: Mints with Ambroise Baker 10 June: Broomrapes with Chris Thorogood Details & booking links here: bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/03/sharpe…