Visitors on the Caldon Canal

It's been a while since I last blogged, largely due to the fact that we didn't have a signal for a week. We went up the Caldon Canal from Etruria junction in Stoke-on-Trent to Froghall & back again. During that time I didn't really do much plant spotting but did spend some time trying to identify various bugs that visited Muriel.

Our first visitor was a Hawthorn Shield Bug which turned up in the rear canopy one morning.



Hawthorn Shield Bug

 That was followed by a White Shouldered House Moth inside the boat. It's the first moth I've seen all trip.



White Shouldered House Moth

 A new spider turned up in the canopy which I think is a species of Drassodes, possibly Drassodes Iapidosus. There are apparently several similar species so I'm not entirely sure. They are nocturnal hunters & their prey includes other spiders.

Drassodes (lapidosus?)

& again

A stonefly landed on the hull whilst we were moored up. It looks very much like Leuctra fusca, one of a number known as needle flies due to the way they tightly fold the wings. There are several similar species, but this one is quite common in streams & lakes. Although we were on the canal, we were very close to a fast flowing stream.



Stone Fly, possibly Leuctra fusca

We've had several visits from tiny Moth Flies, in fact there's one sitting in my bug pot on the table as I type. They are true flies & are called Moth Flies due to their hairy appearance. As usual, there are apparently quite a few similar species which can only be told apart by disecting the genitalia! Well, I'll not be going that far.....it may be Pericoma fulignosa, or it may not! I do know that it hurtled around the bug pot when I caught it, making it difficult to get a photo. They like decaying matter & are often found near sewage works & in drains. I hope the few we've had visit are just that, visitors, & not living in the downpipe!



Moth Fly



& again

My final offering is an as yet unidentified Caddis Fly. I took some photos when it first visited, then released it. We put the canopy down, moved on, & then when we put the canopy up at our next mooring, there it was again! Took a few more photos. There are lots of different Caddis Flies & most of them are identified by counting the number of spurs on the legs. That's why I took more photos, as none of the first batch had enough leg-focusing! I'm still trying to sort it out.....



Caddis Fly - top



Caddis Fly - bottom

Caddis Fly - side

Caddis Fly - front