Nigel Jones

Just pointing out this post. Think about it.

Callitula pyrrhogaster

Callitula cf bicolor

Callitula cf bicolor

Wildlife Group's trip to Llanymynech Rocks on the England/Wales border yesterday in glorious sunshine produced the tiny (c. 2mm), wingless wasp Callitula pyrrhogaster as usual. But we also founds its fully-winged relative C. cf bicolor for a change.

‘I love midges because I know what their hearts look like’: is the passion for taxonomy in danger of dying out? Insect taxonomist Art Borkent has described and named more than 300 species of midges but fears his field of science is dying out, despite millions of insects, fungi and other organisms waiting to be ...

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Ah yes. Your now legendary Melanophora.

Thanks. V useful.

THE WAIT IS OVER - We're busy mailing out copies of our new guide to #FliesofBritainandIreland to all those who pre-ordered. Order your copy here bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @rdimond.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @sussexwildlife.bsky.social

BTW. I am fairly certain I HAVE seen this wasp a few times, if they are characterised by the dark red-brown colour at the base of the abdomen?

I have the key, I just need to be sure I actually have Callitula. This image is very helpful. Are there any useful key characters to check to make sure specimens are in the genus Callitula, besides them looking like this?

Thank you muchly.

Can you get an image of the anipimeron? I am never convinced I have the right feature for that!

Top, top work. Thank you both.

It’s here! The wait is over! Thank you for your patience to all of you who pre-ordered ☺️

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.

Very nice.

No. What's that going to be about? Bound to be scammy though.

I've a feeling that section may not be quite as big as the Tachinid bit.

Preview & Information: AFC Sudbury Sat 14th Feb - 3pm

Preview & Information: AFC Sudbury

All you need to know ahead of tomorrow's game at Sixways Stadium ⬇️

www.worcestercityfc.org/news/preview...

sooooo... WHO is NEXT?!? 😱🙈😭

🔥 #Diptera unit 🦟🪰 at #CNC in Ottawa under threat!!! 🔥

Plz support the colleagues!!! Read the Open Letter and sign the petition here: diptera.de/CNC_Diptera/

#taxonomy #biodiversity #collection #museum #entomology #gnatsarecool #fliesarecooltoo #Canada #insects

The fun we have entomologising 😅

I got my copy today too. It is a monumental achievement. I agree that it put's Martin firmly in the league of awesome Dipterists (as if he wasn't already in that league!). Doli ID just got a whole lot easier. Pricey, but absolutely worth every penny.

An action shot from the team's successful day land caddis hunting

Author interview with Steven J Falk: A Photographic Guide to Flies of Britain & Ireland Over recent decades various ‘difficult’ insect groups have gradually been brought within reach of the non-specialist thanks to developments in field guides. Flies, however, have remained something of ...

Interview with Steven Falk via @nhbs.bsky.social :
www.nhbs.com/blog/author-...

A Land Caddis larva. Britain's only terrestrial caddisfly. The larva constructs a tubular case from particles of soil & vegetation which it lives within, sticking its head & legs out of the wide end to move around. This one is about 3.5mm long, with the head & legs visible bottom left.

Three Land Caddis cases (the larvae are inside them but have pulled themselves in like tortoises retreating into their shells) on someone's hand.

Habitat shot. A clearing in mixed coniferous & broadleaved woodland. There is some snow on the ground.

Wildlife group returned to the English/Welsh border on Weds to the location of our Land Caddis (Enoicyla pusilla) discovery last Nov. Found in v. good numbers again & over a wider area. Grown too: cases now around 3.5mm long (prob 3rd instar of 5). Excellent result!

Great to see this published. Congrats to Sarah.

It's been recorded many times in Shropshire by suction sampling clumps of dry grass in winter. It occurs year round.

Renfrew Christie Dies at 76; Sabotaged Racist Regime’s Nuclear Program

Holy hell, what an obituary

A cover of a new handbook for identifying flies in Britain. The Dolichopodidae family.

Excellent! It's here and available to order from RES/CABI; the eagerly anticipated volume - years in the making - British Dolichopodidae. Really looking forward to having this sat on my desk. A colossal achievement by Martin.

Except we did see one, in the first sample!

Ah. So this is why triungulins cluster atop grass stems rather than on flowerheads!