In 2004 I was asked  to cover Paul Holme Strays for hoverflies as part of the monitoring exercise of this new area.  Whenever I was at Tophill Low I made a note of species seen there, and my garden in Tickton is always a good site.

There are 276 known species in Great Britain, of which about 60 are common or widespread. Many are flying between May to August or later,  some having particular months for peak numbers.  They are not the easiest of insects to identify as some hardly vary in anatomical detail; or dark wings folded over the abdomen make colour patterns difficult to see.  Microscopical examination is necessary on some occasions, necessitating killing the insect.

Species have preferences for habitat.  Many of those found to date within the HVWG area prefer grassland, hedgerows, woodland edges, farm yard,  stagnant water pools, and a few like marsh or fen, or wet meadows.

The larvae of about one third of species live on aphids;  a few feed on Narcissi bulbs but the majority feed on decaying plant material and even farmyard dung.  Adults feed on nectar and pollen hence they are found around flowers.  Some have particular food plants.  Myathropa florea prefers umbral flowers; Platycheiris fulviventris on Glyceria maxima;  Volucella pellucans likes bramble flower;  Helophilus and Eristalis species like ditches, ponds and lake sides.

At Tophill Low the brambles in the car park, and the flowers in the ditch on the South side of "O" reservoir; at Paul Holme Strays the dyke and berm area; in my garden the many flowers are good areas. Of the 30 species identified to date 28 are classified as common or widespread.

Hopefully the full list of species seen to date will be included in the 2004 Hull Valley Wildlife Report.

G Tulloch