The society aims to promote the study, recording and conservation of true flies (Diptera). Our focus is on the British Isles, but we foster links with dipterists throughout Europe and further afield. https://dipterists.org.uk/home
Off to Westhay Moor on the Somerset Levels tomorrow. Should see Hairy-legged Horseflies (Hybomitra bimaculata) sitting around on fences - check out the horseflies in our Flies of Britain & Ireland bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @somersetwt.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social
Can anyone confirm or point me in the right direction to whether this is a Litophasia hyalipennis. Seen in our #wildspaces garden this evening. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @chrismothman.bsky.social
Camarota curvipennis I believe. Found this evening in our #wildspaces garden. A small, dark frit‑fly in the Chloropidae, with wings wrapped tightly around the abdomen, giving a beetle‑like appearance. UK status: uncommon @dipteristsforum.bsky.social
Just look at the eyes on this (deceased) Twin-lobed Deerfly! Chrysops relictus 💚 #UKwildlife #Sussexwildlife #insects @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @sussexwildlife.bsky.social
Still flying of the shelf – Great review of our #flyble Photographic Guide to Flies of Britain & Ireland here bit.ly/4fmoFdL @gailashton.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social @rdimond.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social
Delighted to find Thereva valida (Dark Northern Stiletto) at Ashberry yesterday. A rare stiletto fly, but with known population on south side of North York Moors. Thanks to @kitenet.bsky.social for confirming from photos. @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social
Fine Dipterists Forum week in Somerset. One highlight on last full day at Berrow was not a fly, in fact the enemy of the fly😅, the dune jumping spider Marpissa nivoyi, nationally scarce, no Somerset records on NBN atlas. Vac sampled by Keith Fowler. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #ukwildlife #spiders
Also at Berrow during @dipteristsforum.bsky.social week with @lancefly.bsky.social a notable fly, the very smart Rhagoletis batava, found by eagle eyed Steve Falk earlier in the week perhaps new to Britain! It's on fruiting Sea Buckthorn and actually proved easy to find here. #ukwildlife #Diptera
Day 6 of the @dipteristsforum.bsky.social meeting. I think I just about have the specimens still under control…..
Great to see this paper published, based on #BeeFlyWatch data - thank you to everyone who has ever sent in a bee-fly record 🙏 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social
RES PublicationsNew work in #RESInsectConsDiv #CitizenScience data reveals that earlier & shorter flight periods correlate with climate warming in the dark-edged #BeeFly doi.org/10.1111/icad.70114 #Phenology @manusaunders.bsky.social @wileyecology.bsky.social @unirdgento.bsky.social @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social
Physocephala rufipes - the Waisted Beegrabber This should be more appropriately be called the bumblebeegrabber as it’s been reared from a variety of species. It was hanging around in a beautiful meadow in West Sussex @dipteristsforum.bsky.social
Flies are among our most important—and most overlooked—insects 🪰 Learn practical survey techniques, habitat assessment and recording methods in this Skills for Ecology webinar with David Brice, in partnership with @dipteristsforum.bsky.social 🌎 🧪 📆 27 Oct 🎟 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1989322708...
Important for anyone who verifies records on citizenship science websites, not just the ornithologists. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social
Alexander LeesOur new commentary rdcu.be/ftx6h in @natecoevo.nature.com written with folks from @inaturalist.bsky.social and @cornellbirds.bsky.social shows that use of AI to manipulate existing or create new wildlife images undermines the huge value of vast citizen science databases. 🌍🪰🪶 #Ornithology 🧵 1/10
I think that I am going to declare my pond SSSI - site of special Soldierfly interest Third large Stratiomyid species this summer Beautiful Stratiomys pontamida #soldierfly @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social @amentsoc.bsky.social
A fantastic 3000+ dedicated volunteers contributed data to the first Official Statistic in Development on pollinating insects trends in GB, published recently. A huge thanks to all of them! 🙏 The data were collected for @pomscheme.bsky.social & you too can get involved: ukpoms.org.uk 1/ #BeesNeeds
For the upcoming @dipteracourse.bsky.social we are preparing a shopping list.... I can't wait to smear rotten meat around the Costa Rican Canopy... @dipterists.bsky.social
Senotainia conica (Small Shadower Fly) at Cali Heath @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserve, lurking around Oxybelus uniglumis nests outside rabbit burrows, waiting to lay an egg on the wasp's diptera catch. Rabbit droppings make perfect watchpoints! @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social
So a weekend of persuading bird folks that they should move on from loving the two legged to the six legged creatures… Maybe I’ll start off with Craneflies to ease them in gently (they never have the full set) @globalbirdfair.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social
Is it a wasp? Is it a bee? No, this bruiser is a soldierfly - a nationally scarce Flecked General, just behind the beach at Rye Harbour NR this afternoon. #insects #UKwildlife #Sussexwildlife @sussexwildlife.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social
We gave thanks & celebration on Monday for Peter Chandler - an extraordinary man, a great dipterist & a kind & generous spirit Check out the 10 year old Peter’s answers in his I-Spy entomology book- they made me smile & feel grateful to have known such a great man @dipteristsforum.bsky.social