It's #BlackFLYday

Here is a little cheeky Simuliid from #FlySchool24 in Costa Rica (image by the amazing @bertonemyia.bsky.social whilst we were teaching at @dipteracourse.bsky.social)

(ok this is not totally black but it IS a blackfly!)
(Don't you love names....)

Check out this fly from Nectandra, Costa Rica. This is species from the new family Inbiomyiidae (described in 2006) - Inbiomyia sp.

They have crazy antennae, crazy palps, crazy proboscis, in fact this is one crazy family in Carnoidea

#FlySchool24

A tailless whip scorpion demonstrating that although it may look like it could inflict pain, it is in fact very docile and obviously, rather beautiful - the opposite of the other subject in the image😎👊😉

#FlySchool24 #Forest #Invertebrates

First time I’ve seen Fulgora laternaria - the bug that #MariaSibellaMerian illustrated over 300 years previous to me seeing it last night

The eyes spots are used for defence whilst the ‘nose’ is used for tapping out mating calls on trees

#FlySchool24 #lightTrap

Funny you should say that..one of the participants of #FlySchool24 is from India and brought us all this fab gift of a Diopsidae brooch - a wonderful surprise

The noise of these species fills our days and nights, & there’s no complaint from me

So much effort into finding a mate to finish their short adult lives - Cicadas are the opera singers of these forests. A freshly emerged adult here - of which there are 45 #CostaRica spp

#Flyschool24

A wonderful image taken by @bertonemyia.bsky.social of Plagiocephala latifrons, a stalk-eyed #Ullidiidae caught at #FlySchool24

@dipteracourse.bsky.social

We're all sitting comfortably as #DavidGrimaldi is taking us through Acalptrates at #FlySchool24 - 74 families (43 in Costa Rica)

Up first - lets sort out the arrangement of head bristles. Some 'easy', colour-coded diagrams are a blessing

#taxonomy #bristles @dipteracourse.bsky.social

Old school vs new school when it comes to Dipteran wing vein terminology..

Very handy diagram by David Grimaldi highlighting the name changes for the participants at #FlySchool24

@dipteracourse.bsky.social

Yesterday, I climbed up the 40+ m Canopy Tower this morning at #SoltisCentre, #CostaRica. Lots of beautiful epiphytes, Sabethes were flying around us and some amazing views

What an experience #FlySchool24 @dipteracourse.bsky.social

#FlySchool24 @dipteracourse.bsky.social @jpgillung.bsky.social is talking Empids to the participants whilst Dalton & I am at the back showing each other genitalia pictures - just like the naughty kids that we are…

Chileramphomyia sp - ohhhhhhhh come on! That’s ludicrous

Cooool

Plagiocephalus latifrons (Henderson’s, 1909) - 1 of the many stalk-eyed flies & a dam fine specimen caught by @flyliceresearch at #FlySchool24

There are many fly families with stalk-eyed spp. Some with their antennae at the end of the stalks, whilst others the antennae is still on the head

First morning of #FlySchool24 & traps are set - pan traps, malaise and a baited Shannon trap have been set. Sweeps have occurred & collections have started

@dipteracourse.bsky.social