Following a morning trip to North Cave Wetlands, and the looming thunderstorms, I decided to pay a visit to a local reserve, Riffle Butts Quarry. This is a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserve primarily known for a geological feature exposed in the quarry face. My main reason for this visit was again to try and catch up with Marbled White Melanargia galathea, which is already on the wing along the northern edge of the Wolds. I only managed to see one individual, unfortunately high up on the hillside, so I turned my attention to the many flies, not everybodies favourite subject, settling on the umbeliffers in the quarry.

Hoverfly – Eristalis tenax

Hoverfly – Syrphus sp.

Hoverfly – Episyrphus balteatus

Hoverfly – Chrysotoxum bicinctum

Volucella bombylans – form: plumata (On adjacent Hudson Way)

Sawfly – Tenthredo mesomelas

Greenbottle – Lucilia caesar

Bluebottle – Calliphora vomitoria
Cynomya mortuorum

Spotted Crane-fly – Nephrotoma appendiculata

As well as the many flies there were a few other insects to observe and photograph, the following the best of the rest.

Common Carder Bee – Bombus pascuorum

Common Green Grasshopper – Omocestus viridulus

Ringlet – Aphantopus hyperantus