Ian Andrews

UK map showing overall distribution of Dark-edged Bee-fly (pale grey dots) and records so far for 2026 (black dots)

A very freshly emerged male Dark-edged Bee-fly, photo by Allan Burrows in Hertfordshire

Several more bee-flies seen today - hurray 😍 So far we have records for Surrey, Beds, Bucks, Kent, Herts, Middlesex and Guernsey. Where will they appear next? Please enjoy looking out for them and send in your sightings for #BeeFlyWatch - 📸 of the Herts bee-fly by @allanburrows.bsky.social

Blimey...on a Monday, too!

A typically hairy, early-season pertinax...nice. 🙂

Blue Shieldbug (Zicrona caerulea) under a blue sky at Cali Heath @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserve yesterday. @ynuorg.bsky.social

Oecothea fenestralis (Fallén, 1820) A species displaying typical characteristics of subterranean dwelling, with a small eye and with the 3rd antennal segment (which is slightly flattened on top) having a very long arista, clearly more s...

Please do add it to iRecord...we get precious few records of it each year. flic.kr/s/aHsmpc1UUC

Agree with @kitenet.bsky.social... Oecothea fenestralis. Bristles on the mid-tibia separate from the similar Eccoptomera. Usu. Found down rabbit burrows rather than bathrooms! 😄

Thanks very much. 🙂 I use an Olympus OM-D E-M1 III and 60mm macro.

Simulium reptans, this is a male with large facets at the top of the eyes and smaller ones below. Females feed on mammals including humans

Simulium reptans, male with large and small facets to the eyes; females feed on mammals inc. humans.
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!
www.dipteraid.co.uk

Limnellia surturi...a rather smart, rather little shore fly (Ephydridae) on sand outside a rabbit burrow at Cali Heath @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserve yesterday. Looks to be a new VC record. #Ephydridae #shoreflies @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social

I'll see your 22-spot and raise you a 24-spot...also yesterday. 🙂

For sure...can't wait for those summer days when they shine out atop umbellifers!

A gorgeous flat-footed fly (Platypezidae) rather than a midge. 🙂

Yes, @naturespotter.bsky.social did a good job with Sooty Griever...fits the species very nicely.

An all black sawfly, Dolerus anthracinus (common name Sooty Griever) sits on a white sweep net bag. A rare sawfly in Yorkshire, associated with good quality chalk grassland and found here at Frendal Dale in Millington Pastures, East Yorkshire.

2026 Sawfly season started for me today with 2 Sooty Grievers (Dolerus anthracinus) at Millington Pastures VC61. Associated with quality chalk grassland here and flies (very) early, so is it really as uncommon as 2 records in last 50 years suggests? @ynuorg.bsky.social #yorkshiresawflies #symphyta

'Bridled' Guillemot

Heleomyza serrata

Tephrochlamys rufiventris

Gymnomus caesius

Nice morning at Bempton Cliffs...birds were good, spiny-winged flies were better! 😀 Hundreds of Heleomyza serrata, Tephrochlamys rufiventris, Gymnomus caesius and more on handrails by the cliff edge. Always worth having a few pots in the pocket. 😉 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social

Norellia spinipes (Daffodil Dung Fly) One of four British scathophagids with strongly bristled 'raptorial' forelegs. It can be distinguished from the others (all species of Norellisoma) by the presence of only a single (as opposed to a do...

Yup, that's the Daffodil Fly, Norellia spinipes. This is their time on daffs now...I bet you'll start seeing more now you've got your first! flic.kr/s/aHsmVKk8tj

Difficult to say what it is, but not Stomoxys. Thoracic pattern is similar to Phaonia trimaculata, maybe, but I'd only be guessing...looks to be a muscid, anyway. 🙂

Sitona regensteinensis, Bombus hypnorum, Andricus sp.(?) and Troilus luridus....more evidence of spring-awakening at Cali Heath @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserve from a quick walk round this morning. @ynuorg.bsky.social #entomology #ukwildlife #bombus

Things are waking up! 😀

Confirmed as Triphleba opaca.

Things significantly improving in the insect world...Melinopterus prodromus, Oecothea fenestralis, Piezodorus lituratus (looking rather like some weird sheep?!) and Scathophaga furcata at Cali Heath @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserve today. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social

Where is it from?

What better for #FlyFriday than a phantastic phebruary phorid lurking outside a rabbit burrow at @yorkswildlife.bsky.social Cali Heath reserve in East Yorkshire, UK today?! @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Roger Morris and I are picking out Muscidae from the British collection ahead of the upcoming @dipteristsforum.bsky.social field course for a photo shoot!

Trying to get those awkward features imaged to aid the keys and (hopefully) identifications

Fellow Dipterists / systematists / ecologists, if you have not yet heard, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada is planning to eliminate the Diptera Unit at the Canadian National Collection of Insects, supposedly for financial reasons. The open letter below has been prepared by Dr. Art Borkent. If you agree with the letter, and would like to add your name in support, please follow the directions below. Message is as follows: ********************* The following is an “Open Letter” that will be presented to the Canadian press by a Member of Parliament, Ms. Elizabeth May. If you can support this petition, please send your name, full affiliation and address (including country) to Art Borkent’s email: artborkent@telus.net Your name will be added to a supporting list that will likely never be seen publicly but needs to be noted by our member of parliament. Please consider helping to stop the removal of the Diptera Unit in Ottawa, Canada. Please remember that we are writing this for the press – someone gave advice that it should be written at about the level of an intelligent 14 year old. If any of you are members of another society of specialized Dipterists or otherwise, please feel free to send this on to your other colleagues. I am hoping to have this submitted to Elizabeth May with all the signatures by Friday, Feb. 13. Time is of the essence. best wishes, Art Borkent and David Grimaldi

(Message too long for alt-text): the text of the first page of an open letter to support keeping the Diptera Unit open at the Canadian National Collection of Insects and Nematodes.

(Message too long for alt-text): the text of the second page of an open letter to support keeping the Diptera Unit open at the Canadian National Collection of Insects and Nematodes.

A sampling of output from the Diptera Unit at the CNC

From Chris Borkent: Fellow Dipterists/systematists/ecologists: Agri./Agri-Food Canada plans to eliminate the Diptera Unit at the Canadian National Collection of Insects. Dr. Art Borkent has prepared an open letter to support keeping the unit open. To sign, please read & follow the instructions here.

Calliphora vicina, the Peanut Fly, making use of the feeders at @northcavewet.bsky.social today. Makes a change from the usual Paridae. 😄 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @yorkswildlife.bsky.social

Blimey....sun! 🌞And sun = insects. Dermestes murinus, Sitona lineatus, Oulema sp. and Acericerus ribauti at Cali Heath @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserve today. Going to be dull and sleety from tomorrow, but today was enjoyable. 🙂@ynuorg.bsky.social #ukwildlife

Save the date! Come & meet the Dipterist Forum gang at the Staffs Invert Science Fair! Loads for kids dipterists.org.uk/events/staff... @royentsoc.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @davebriceflies.bsky.social @lancefly.bsky.social @suillia.bsky.social @nbntrust.bsky.social @britentsoc.bsky.social

February arrives and the Gadwall are getting frisky...

Little Egret H3 still at Kilnwick Percy this morning...has been a regular by the lakes the last few weeks. A local bird from the @ldvnnr.bsky.social. @ynuorg.bsky.social @yorkswildlife.bsky.social