A couple of smart Hovers...

The Ivy flowers in the hedgerows are attracting incredible numbers of insects at the moment. In Whitestaunton the dominant species is definitely this large fly, Mesembrina meridiana:

Mesembrina meridiana: R Harris

Closely followed by Yellow Dung Fly, Scathophaga stercoraria:

Scathophaga stercoraria: R. Harris

But there are some really smart hoverflies attracted to them too, including these two (thanks Dave H. for providing their ID):

Helophilus pendulus: R. Harris

Sericomyia silentis: R. Haris

Sericomyia silentis: R. Haris

Spiders are still high on the agenda too with this lovely Larinioides cornutus seen in good numbers on a brief visit to Ham Wall on the Somerset Levels today. They are orb web spiders and use to belong to the Araneus family until a number of biological differences placed them into a family of their own along with 4 other species. They are frequently found in grass and reeds close to water where the females, like this one, make a hideaway out of dead grass heads.

Larinioides cornutus: R. Harris

This Linyphia was found in the garden but is more frequently seen in the hedgerows where is builds a horizontal web in bushes such as gorse.

Linyphia triangularis: R. Harris