Happy Christmas from NatureBureau - our office is now closed til 5 January but you can still pre-order our #FliesofBritainandIreland - due late Jan/early Feb 2026. Pre-order now bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @gailashton.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @wildlifekate.bsky.social

The morning dew sparkled on Bill’s web. The decoys were in place, his fly call was poised, and luck was in the air.

A Phryxe sp fly, most can not be ID'd to species without looking under a microscope. Seen at Brankley Pastures, #Staffs 28/07/25 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Tachinidae #Diptera

Eristalinus sepulchralis hoverfly, seen at #RSPBMiddletonLakes, 01/08/25 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Syrphidae #hoverfly #fly

A Recording Scheme newsletter was sent out to @dipteristsforum.bsky.social members last spring, but I've just realised that I hadn't uploaded it to the website. That omission has now been put right, and newsletter 11 is available along with all the others here dipterists.org.uk/soldierflies...

The stripyest of pretty little fungus gnats! Flies that breed mostly in fungi, harmless - don't bite (they may not even have mouth parts or feed, correct me if I'm wrong). I've reared lots of sorts from fungi. Important in recycling, vital food for insectivores @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

A dipterist's dipteron, the elusive Borboropsis puberula. The only member of the family in the UK. Restricted to the Scottish Highlands. This one from Ben Lawers is probably the 7th UK record. #Diptera #Entomology @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

One of the exhibits on display at #DipteristsDay2025 was by Keith Porter, who since retiring from @naturalengland.bsky.social has turned his attention to Beeflies of the Med He’s adapting pre-existing keys, adding images/diagrams etc & brought some beautiful specimens @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Great to hear @sjthomasbotany.bsky.social talk at #DipteraDay2025 on 'The Chloropidae UK and Ireland Flickr Group'. Check out the recording of this on our YouTube channel and see how you can make use of and add to this great resource! m.youtube.com/@DipteristsF...

And we're off! #DipteraDay2025 Opening the Day is @denisewawman.bsky.social 'Mapping the UK's flat flies - A Citizen Science Project'. A heady mix of #ornithology, #diptera and #climate change. Recordings for the Day available on our website YouTube here: m.youtube.com/@DipteristsF...

Great end to Day 1 of #DipteraDay2025 A meal with friends. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

My favourite slide so far from the @zoologymuseum.bsky.social collection.. It’s @dipteristsforum.bsky.social time and we have been allowed to check out the collections ahead of #DipteristsDay2025 This was definitely a leg man…

Excited to announce that Fly School IV will be 27 July-9 August 2026, in Costa Rica! Applications will open in January. @dipterists.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @bertonemyia.bsky.social @teamdiptera.bsky.social @entcollnet.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @entsocamerica.bsky.social

For those unable to attend the #DipteristDay2025 in person, see you online. Link below 🪰

What a treat! @zoologymuseum.bsky.social Collection visit underway for @dipteristsforum.bsky.social Dipterist Day.

Don't very often see Calliphora vomitoria with their fetching ginger beards, but today I was pleased to find 2 of these blow flies, 13/11/25, Tamworth @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Calliphoridae #Diptera

Delighted we have @pemberleybooks.bsky.social joining us at our Dipterist Day 2025 at @zoologymuseum.bsky.social this Saturday. Always a wonderful day! Join us in person, all welcome or via Zoom. Book here: dipterists.org.uk/events/dipte...

A few Common Carder Bees Bombus pascuorum still active in the garden yesterday nectaring on Mahonia - the latest I have ever recorded them. Also a few Honeybees and a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus, Buckfastleigh, Devon

Can't make the @dipteristsforum.bsky.social Dipterist Day 2025 in Cambridge this Saturday 15th November - fear not! Sign up through the link in the page below and we'll send you the recordings. The wonders of Modern technology... dipterists.org.uk/events/dipte... Please share the love ❤️

The wonderful Adrian &I have gone Korean! Metamorphosis - How Insects are changing our world by myself with Adrian Washbourne or now known as Little Conquerors has been published by @gombooks @nhm-london.bsky.social @csiropublishing.bsky.social @smithsonianmag.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social

I'm currently updating and making corrections to the Ephydridae key prepared for the @dipteristsforum.bsky.social workshop. Please let me know if you've noticed any errors or anything that might need updating. Comments, DM or email to sjthomasbotanyATgmail.com please. #Diptera #entomology

@linbrice.bsky.social just updated the Website, it's been a busy 18 months dipteraid.co.uk/projects/ looking ahead to next year already. Anyone ecologists needing help with diptera backlog from this year? Or planning lots of diptera work next year, please contact me if I can help. Please share, ta!

It's that time of year again, Dipterists Forum 'Dipterists Day & AGM' 🪰 Nov 14th 2025- a day in the Museum of Zoology, Cambridge Diptera collections Nov 15th 2025 - Dipterists Day and AGM For more details please go to dipterists.org.uk/events/dipte...

Looking forward to my first visit to @dipteristsforum.bsky.social Dipterist Day in Cambridge. Great group of people and non members welcome: dipterists.org.uk/events/dipte...

A wasp-mimic Drone fly (Monoceromyia trinotata) for #insectthursday. Kalagarh Tiger Reserve, Aug 2025. #macroPhotography #macrohour #ThePhotoHour #natgeoyourshot #Himalayas #nature #entomology #biodiversity #Nikon #insectencounter #niffeature2025 @royentsoc.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

We will be there! Come and say hi and see our fantastic flies!

An amazing observation and photo by Bryony Chapman of the Hornet Robberfly tucking into a spicy meal of Nicrophorus carrion beetle @carrionbeetlesuk.bsky.social - these robberflies really are the boss of insect predators 🦁 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

The absolutely fabulous Stomorhina lunata! This is a female, seen at Brankley Pastures, #Staffs, 29/07/25 #Calliphoridae @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Diptera

I've no idea who this small stripy fly is seen in a Mayweed flower, can anyone help please? Brankley Pastures, #Staffs, 29/07/25 @suillia.bsky.social @geoffwilkinson.bsky.social @graemelyons.bsky.social @lancefly.bsky.social @andymus.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Diptera

Hmm, definitely should have took a specimen. 28/05/25, Brankley Pastures, #Staffs. Blaesoxipha erythrura (which shouldn't occur here), Ravinia pernix, or another #Sarcophagidae? Thanks @suillia.bsky.social @lancefly.bsky.social @andymus.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Cheilosia illustrata in the Canal Meadow at #RSPBMiddletonLakes, 25/07/25 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Syrphidae

Very unexpected & rare: Anticheta obliviosa female #Sciomyzidae from saltmarsh on Hayling Island, Hampshire. Previously known in the UK from fens around Huntingdon and singles from Cheshire and Yorkshire - all inland. Nice find for a quick evening sweep #ento #diptera @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Picture-winged Flies pages are now laid out for our NEW #FliesofBritainandIreland due Autumn 2025 - pre-order now at bit.ly/4dqQI8Z & save £££s on published price @gailashton.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social

Pedicia rivosa...simply one of my favourite true flies and a good indicator of species-rich, boggy woodland up on the North York Moors. Fen Bog today. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #pediciidae #hairyeyes

Amazing clip of courtship behaviour in dance flies (Empis subgenus Xanthempis) - this seems to be a male on the left and female on the right?

Very happy to find a visitor in my kitchen yesterday, the first record of Clusia flava on iRecord in 2025. Favours rotting wood and damp woodland - chuffed that it likes my garden in Leeds enough to come in and tell me! Thanks @suillia.bsky.social for confirming ID @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

My after work strolls along the country lanes of West Sussex are glorious Check out Rhingia campestrus aka the Heineken fly aka the common snout - names because of its retractable snout (mouthparts) - getting into parts other insects can’t reach @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #insects #hoverflies

Anasimyia lineata, a Duckfly! Seen at #RSPBMiddletonLakes 14/05/25 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Syrphidae #fly #hoverfly #Diptera

Enjoyable day with @dipteristsforum.bsky.social in Derbyshire looking for flies - we found one or two 😃 these are dance flies (Empididae) doing their thing 🕺 💃

Dysmachus trigonus ♀ (Fan-bristled Robberfly) sparkling in the afternoon sun at Cali Heath @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserve (and doing well to avoid the deep Salix 'snow' which was carpeting everything to an extent not seen for years). @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

A lovely bronze coloured Gymnocheta viridis fly seen at Hopwas Quarry, #Staffs 04/05/25 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Tachinidae #fly #Diptera

We're now up to ten species of soldierflies & allies recorded as adults in 2025 😀 As well as the 2 bee-flies we have Spring Heath Robberfly; Downlooker Snipefly; Murky-legged Black Legionnaire; Black-horned Gem; Black Colonel; Yellow-legged Black; Coastal Silver-stiletto; Common Awl-fly

Houdini is out... There were at least 5 male Osmia bicornis around the bee hotel today so it was no surprise to find the 'Houdini Fly' Cacoxenus indagator hanging around.

Male Portevinia maculata, the Ramsons hoverfly, look for it around the flowers of Wild Garlic. Seen at #RSPBMiddletonLakes 20/04/25 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Syrphidae @rspb.bsky.social #Diptera #fly #hoverfly

I think this large fly is a Conops vesicularis (Hornet Grabber). If someone could confirm, I’ll pop on iRecord. Thanks. #conopidae #EastHampshire @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Finally found a Criorhina ranunculi which was willing to sit still for some half-decent photos today. A really impressive bumblebee mimic which is widespread across the UK. Also available in a red-tailed form. #Hoverfly #Insects

Rhamphomyia maculipennis, a costal #Empididae with two dark marks on the wing in females, from Hayling Island today. #diptera #ento @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Good news for bee-flies! They have been reported much more frequently this year, and in mid-April we have already had more 2025 records than we did for the whole of 2024, for both Dark-edged and Dotted Bee-flies. This is likely to be due to the much sunnier weather this year. #BeeFlyWatch 1/4

Great to see RHS and @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social sharing hoverfly enthusiasm - some good ideas for making gardens hoverfly-friendly