Orange Fly

Photographed among the irises in the marsh on the northern edge of the large lake.  I'm not sure of the identification as there are quite a few families of dipteran flies that contain species that look rather similar to this.

I don't think it is a dung fly (family Scathophagidae), such as Scathophaga stercoraria, because it's thorax and legs are not covered with yellow or greenish-yellow hairs. 

I also don't think it is a member of family Heleomyzidae, such as Suillia variegata, because they have distinct black spines on the leading edges of their wings. 

It might be a member of family Sciomyzidae, such as Tetanocera elata.  The latter "frequents waterside vegetation where, like other members of the family, the larvae feed on small snails" (M. Chinery, Insects of Britain & North Europe, 3rd Edition, Collins, 1993, pages 203-204).  The above fly was in some irises at the edge of a lake, and I did notice several small snails on those irises.

Photo taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-05-17.

Hoverfly

A hoverfly, probably a female Anasimyia lineata based mainly on the photo here. The males of this species seem to have much less grey on them, as shown here.

Photo taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-05-17.

Capsid Bug

A capsid bug (family Miridae, order Hemiptera), probably Rhabdomiris striatellus.  British Bugs has some good photos of this species here, along with some of the similiar Miris striatus here.  Both of these species are often found on oak trees, as was the specimen pictured above.

Photo taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-05-10.

Large Red Damselfly

A large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula).  The thick black bands with thin white bands indicate that this is a female. In the males the black bands are much less noticable and the white bands are absent.

There is a good species checklist of UK dragonflies and damselflies, with many photos and lots of other useful information, here at the British Dragonfly Society website.

Photo taken beside the large lake, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-05-10.

Woolly Aphids

[Note added 2009-07-04: I now think that these were psyllids rather than aphids.  See below for details.]

When I first saw these white fluffy masses I thought they must be some form of fungus, but then I noticed that one of them had legs and was walking:

These are woolly aphids, of the family Eriosomatidae in the order Hemiptera.  They secrete a filamentous waxy white covering as a defence against predators.  They also secrete droplets of sundew, several of which can been seen in these pictures.  The tree is a common alder (Alnus glutinosa).

[Note added 2009-07-04: this post by Phil Gates, a botanist at Durham University, suggests to me that these are the nymphs of psyllids, in particular Psylla alni, the alder psyllid (family Psyllidae, order Hemiptera). Psyllids are closely related to aphids and they also secrete waxy white filaments.]

Photos taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-05-10.