A Tephritid fly Merzomyia westermanni, an orange/yellow coloured species with distinctly marked multicoloured wings
Merzomyia westermanni (Tephritidae) from last year in Kent. Anyone ecologists needing help with diptera backlog from last year? Or planning lots of diptera work this year? Please contact me for Diptera ID, full species lists and conservation status etc...see dipteraid.co.uk/projects/
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@linbrice.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social
A Tephritid fly Merzomyia westermanni, an orange/yellow coloured species with distinctly marked multicoloured wings
Merzomyia westermanni (Tephritidae) from last year in Kent. Anyone ecologists needing help with diptera backlog from last year? Or planning lots of diptera work this year? Please contact me for Diptera ID, full species lists and conservation status etc...see dipteraid.co.uk/projects/
Please share
Formica pratensis, the black-backed meadow ant on Guernsey- mega-industrious ladies! They were in the UK but disappeared in the 80’s
These colonies have been flagged to ensure that they are not strimmed by council workers & this also helps to show the public where these charismatic ants live
📢CALL FOR COLLABORATION📢
My PhD student Warre is looking for flies infected with #Laboulbeniales fungi. Especially Musca domestica!
If you have any, store in 96% ethanol or in the freezer, record on @inaturalist.bsky.social, and/or contact Warre.
#TeamLaboul #LFEE #LuminaQuaeruntur
Thanks to Sander Bot for sharing a new (and very well-illustrated) key to Cheilosia hoverflies in Europe - looking forward to trying it out www.researchgate.net/publication/... #flies #diptera @dipteristsforum.bsky.social
@dipteristsforum.bsky.social
Today, I finally have had this paper published, it only took me around four years to do my bits! 🙂https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5793.1.1
@flygirlnhm.bsky.social finally got there....
I'm talking about "Saving Our Insects", this Sunday, Clevedon, Somerset, last few tickets available!
Ohhhh tomorrow you can listen to Lee Davies and myself talking flies and fungi with Sue Perkins & Sara Pascoe
Nature Table - Tuesday April 14th - 6.30pm on BBC Radio 4 🪰🍄
Much fun was had recording this 😎
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
"Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles."
I travelled, so far, over 13,000 km across China. And that's not counting internal flights, car and bus rides, motorbikes & trains booked on stations or 12306.
(should add up to over 7000 km)
Who does not want an AMAZING 3D printed fly????
This Drosophila was printed for me today as a prop for a talk at the @rigb.org
It caused a minor commotion on the tube on my way home. And I LOVE IT
- @bittelmethis.bsky.social 🤓🪰🤘
I’m about to give a talk at the Royal Institute @rigb.org - Metamorphosis - eggs to excellence
Talking maggots at the Royal Institution!!
@royentsoc.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @dipterists.bsky.social @amentsoc.bsky.social
I have just watched 'My Garden of a Thousand Bees', and my mind is blown.
Bees. They have personalities. They use sticks. It's changed how I think of insects that's for sure. I can't recommend it enough.
On BBC iPlayer. It's wonderful. And you will meet a leafcutter bee called Nicky.
Screenshot of one page from the updated identification guide to VIlla bee-flies, showing examples of male Buff-tailed Villa (Villa hottentotta)
... 2/2 Finding Buff-tailed Villa (Villa hottentotta) in UK meant the Villa ID guide needed updating! See dipterists.org.uk/soldierflies.... Convincing photos of the new Villa were taken in 2025, but we need a specimen to fully confirm it. If anyone finds more next summer please let me know!
Screenshot of the first part of the Soldierflies and Allies Recording Scheme newsletter no. 12
The latest recording scheme newsletter (no. 12) was sent out to members of @dipteristsforum.bsky.social recently, and is also available from the recording scheme web page dipterists.org.uk/soldierflies... - includes exciting news of a possible new Villa bee-fly species in the UK 🤩 1/2 ...
On the 4th of June - @juleshoward.bsky.social & I will be discussing insects & just how important they are 👊🪰 (and they are) at the #CheltSciFest (2 - 7 June 2026)
@cheltfestivals
The full line-up is out now & tickets go on sale 22 April, 10am
www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/whats-on
Did you know nearly 1,500 native species are threatened with extinction in Britain?
What do I want to do?
Restore ecosystems.
I don’t need much help on this generally BUT
My charity has a solid chance of going bankrupt if you don’t support this crowdfunder.
It’s been my whole life for over five years. I am scared now.
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/warleigh-n...
Norellisoma flavicorne (was N. opacum)...a small, grey dungfly with orange legs and long bristles beneath the fore femora. Found around Meadowsweet beds.
Norellisoma flavicorne, the Grey Mantis Dung Fly...a small, Meadowsweet-associated dung fly with impressive raptorial bristles on the forelegs. A common species on beds of Meadowsweet around the @ldvnnr.bsky.social . @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social
BENHS 2026 ID Workshop calendar
Sawfly identification workshop – Andrew Green and Andrew Halstead
November 28th
To book a place visit www.benhs.org.uk/events/
Image: Steven Falk
I’m ready about Ptychoidy and the fantastic world of mites - pulling you legs & mouthparts back into your body to escape danger!
Checkout out Macromites blog on these amazing creatures
macromite.wordpress.com/tag/ptychoidy/
(Image from his blog)
It's completely possible to be a cat lover and keep them indoors. In fact I don't need to treat random fight wounds or use wormers/tick and flea meds. No feline AIDS virus either. No missing cats or risk of car collisions.
Definitely time to ditch the outdoor cat mentality & neuter neuter neuter
The cover of a guide called Psyllids of Norfolk, with a central picture of Psylla alni, a green psyllid, on a green leaf. The NNNS logo is in the top right corner.
I have updated the @norfolknats.bsky.social species guide to Norfolk Psyllids, which is available to download from the NNNS website here: norfolknaturalists.org.uk/wp/wp-conten... It now covers 60 species (about 3/5 of the British list) so is hopefully of use even for those outside of Norfolk.
Fly Research & Conservation Virtual Symposium 2026
Tue 23 Jun 2026 | Online | £30 or pay what you can
Explore the latest fly ecology, conservation science & practical case studies. Live Q&A, expert talks & all resources available after the event 🌍 🧪
Book here:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981718540...
Anyone ID this solitary bee for me, from Corfe Castle yesterday @ianbeavis.bsky.social @thedetermin8or.bsky.social
The @nhm-london.bsky.social #GenerationHope program, in collaboration with youth climate/nature advocates from across the world, aimed at empowering people to become planetary advocates
I LOVE this planet (esp the flies) & will be talking Flies, collections & Hope
www.nhm.ac.uk/events/gener...
A different bee-fly, not seen flying around today, but making a valuable contribution to science
If you're within reach of Northamptonshire on Sat 16 May there's a soldierfly identification workshop with the Wildlife Trust: learn how to identify soldierflies using keys, specimens & microscopes (suitable for beginners & more experienced) www.wildlifebcn.org/events/2026-...
Beeflies
This time the Dune Villa, Villa modesta, which we collected on a @dipteristsforum.bsky.social fieldtrip in Cornwall for the #DarwinTreeofLife genome sequencing project @nhm-london.bsky.social @sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Genome assembled 👊
wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/11-...
