Smardale Gill, 1st July

1st July was another dull, damp day so the visit to Cumbria Wildlife Trusts nature reserve at Smardale Gill did  not promise much chance of seeing the rare Scotch Argus butterfly that the reserve is home to. Indeed no butterflies of any description were seen.

However the limestone grassland was in fine flower with these Fragrant Orchids, near the lime kilns over the viaduct, among the highlights.

Less spectacular but perhaps even more interesting was the discovery in an ant nest of several hatched puparia of the hoverfly Microdon mutabilis, which can be recognised by the reticulated pattern on the dorsal surface. The larvae of the hoverfly feed on ant grubs in the nest and are somehow able to survive without being killed by the adult ants. The limestone hills of south Cumbria are a national hotspot for this fly. A note on Microdon hoverflies in Cumbria was recently published in the Carlisle Naturalist.