Gold star for this silver soldier #fly 🌟 Diptera are seriously amazing 🤩 🥰 #Stratiomyidae: #Artemita argentea Soltis Center, Costa Rica @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @dipteracourse.bsky.social @riccardi-p.bsky.social
Fly School
@dipteracourse.bsky.social
Fly School is a two week course for those who want to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Diptera. The next Fly School will be July-August 2026. dipterists.org/fly_school.html
A gorgeous new family of flies for me - Xylomyidae, the Wood Soldier flies These have been poorly studied as most caught via malaise but Antoine Touret hand caught this off a wall at the @soltiscenter. 3spp described in Costa Rica but many more waiting to de determined @dipteracourse.bsky.social
Sometimes you've gotta go metallic to mimic your model! This common tropical hover #fly at the top is a convincing mimic of the local orchid #bees in the genus #Euglossa (bottom). #FlySchool2026 #Syrphidae: #Ornidia obesa Soltis Center, Costa Rica
Some crane flies in the genus #Geranomyia produce a little gel nursery to develop on leaves in the tropics. There they graze on algae & other organic matter. The mass provides moisture (other spp. live in water/soil) & likely protects from predators. #Tipulidae #Limoniidae #FlySchool2026 Costa Rica
Check out these flies! . . . And of course the amazing eyelash viper 😜 😂 🥰 #Ceratopogonidae #Viperidae: #Bothriechis supraciliaris #FlySchool2026 Costa Rica
The mint chocolate chip flavor of flies [I imagine] 😋 #Stratiomyidae: #Promeranisa #FlySchool2026 Costa Rica
Officially the cutest fly I've ever seen 🥰 😍 It was a target genus of mine & Ezra Bailey was kind enough to save her live specimen for me to photograph [we've been lucky to see more since]. They mostly run around rather than fly. SQUEEEEEEE!!!! #Periscelididae: #Scutops #FlySchool2026 Costa Rica
Collected by @khong-a-tach.bsky.social
The hammerhead condition has evolved numerous times in flies, resulting in various flavors. Last time we found an extreme one (flic.kr/p/2qeN7Hz) but this example is a bit more tame (still lovely, though! ❤️) [Coll.: Khong Lunaria] #FlySchool2026 Costa Rica #Richardiidae: #Richardia cf. telescopica
A female Physoptera (Phoridae) showing off/advertising her presence, by releasing pheromones through her abdominal glands (the yellow stripes on her abdomen). As you can see they have reduced abdominal plates (tergites) that allow these glands to expand #FlySchool2026 @dipteracourse.bsky.social
The hammerhead condition has evolved numerous times in flies, resulting in various flavors. Last time we found an extreme one (flic.kr/p/2qeN7Hz) but this example is a bit more tame (still lovely, though! ❤️) [Coll.: Khong Lunaria] #FlySchool2026 Costa Rica #Richardiidae: #Richardia cf. telescopica
Spectacular catch on the 1st day of #FlySchool2026 by student Sangjin Han! This massive timber fly was flying around the lobby of the Soltis Center last night. At over 2"/5 cm this is the largest live fly I've ever seen 😳 Larvae bore in wood. Amazing! 🥰 #Pantophthalmidae: #Pantophthalmus Costa Rica
If you're enjoying these posts (and #flies 🪰 in general) please visit our website: dipterists.org You can become a member and find out how you can join Fly School in the future. We'd love to see you!
Sometimes you've gotta go metallic to mimic your model! This common tropical hover #fly at the top is a convincing mimic of the local orchid #bees in the genus #Euglossa (bottom). #FlySchool2026 #Syrphidae: #Ornidia obesa Soltis Center, Costa Rica
@bertonemyia.bsky.social asked his seven year old nephew to give common names to flies.. Do you agree? And can you name the actual families? #FlySchool2026 @dipteracourse.bsky.social @dipterists.bsky.social
Afternoons lecture by Brian Brown at @dipteracourse.bsky.social #FlySchool2026 starts with Hypopygial circumversion in the higher flies Instead of the males being dragged along, their genitalia has rotated to offer them some dignity 🤓🤘
Lots of ‘whooping’ about the next lecture at #FlySchool2026 by @riccardi-p.bsky.social - genitalia preps ‘We use genitalia as its under positive selection’. @dipteracourse.bsky.social
Just a couple big-headed flies making more big-headed flies, which I appreciate so I can see more big-headed flies 😁 #Pipunculidae #FlySchool2026 Costa Rica [PS: Jim Hogue is about to wow us w/these flies & their close relatives the hover flies!] @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @dipteracourse.bsky.social
Be a dipterist. Be in Costa Rica for #FlySchool2026. See a muscoid #fly perching on a leaf. Tell student so they can collect it. Success!! Wait a minute 🤔 That's not a fly, but weevil mimicking one! This was so convincing, even rapidly moving & poking its wings out 🥰 #Curculionidae: cf. #Mnemynurus
@flygirlnhm.bsky.social @riccardi-p.bsky.social @dipteracourse.bsky.social @teamdiptera.bsky.social
Be a dipterist. Be in Costa Rica for #FlySchool2026. See a muscoid #fly perching on a leaf. Tell student so they can collect it. Success!! Wait a minute 🤔 That's not a fly, but weevil mimicking one! This was so convincing, even rapidly moving & poking its wings out 🥰 #Curculionidae: cf. #Mnemynurus
😍
Spectacular catch on the 1st day of #FlySchool2026 by student Sangjin Han! This massive timber fly was flying around the lobby of the Soltis Center last night. At over 2"/5 cm this is the largest live fly I've ever seen 😳 Larvae bore in wood. Amazing! 🥰 #Pantophthalmidae: #Pantophthalmus Costa Rica
Drilling into the participants of #FlySchool2026 @dipteracourse.bsky.social that boots/wellies in the jungle are essential. As for the bullet ants..they come for you. It’s all giggles but if you leave your lights on, they will find you 🤓😉
And so it begins… #FlySchool2026 in Costa Rica. @dipteracourse.bsky.social tutors include @bertonemyia.bsky.social @riccardi-p.bsky.social @dsamorim.bsky.social, Giar-Ann, Jim Hogue and Greg Dahlem and myself. Heading to the jungle…
Pet peeve of mine, but butterflies are really not important pollinators, most of them. They are pretty, yes. But they are nowhere near as important as flies and beetles and bees.
Mydas fly!! Not a wasp, a huge black iridescent orange-spotted monster slurping on swamp milkweed. Plant native plants…never know who’ll show up 😳
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
🧪🐛🐝🐜🦋Come work with me! @romtoronto.bsky.social is hiring a Curator of Insects & Arachnids!!! #insects royalontariomuseum.applytojob.com/apply/mdMTpA...
Curator of Insects & Arachnids - Royal Ontario Museum - Career Page
Apply to Curator of Insects & Arachnids at Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, ON, Canada.
royalontariomuseum.applytojob.com
Entomology is for everyone - and we’re here to help make that a reality. The RES EDI grant supports projects that break down barriers and create opportunities for more people to engage with insect science. 🔗 Read more and apply now 🔽 buff.ly/mu9z1He Deadline: 17 July
Get funding for your next project
💡 Your idea could inspire the next generation. Some examples of projects, events and activities that this fund can cover are: 🪰 Entomological history projects that celebrate ethnic diversity and heritage which can lead to more involvement of underrepresented groups in entomology 🦗 An entomology-focussed citizen science project providing technology, visual aids, sign language interpretation or alternative communication methods within a field/laboratory setting specifically used by individuals with hearing impairments 🐞 Workshops/networking events that amplify women and girl voices, encouraging a greater diversity of contributions in entomology 🐝 A university-led careers event, specifically supporting early career LGBTQ+ groups with entomological pursuits 🦋 Activities that promote intergenerational connections in the entomological community
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Panorpa insolens, a scorpionfly, defends her delicious mystery lump from a patient flesh fly (Sarcophagidae). Wing-flagging in Panorpa is used for both intraspecific and interspecific communication, and in some species studied, these displays are often used to guard food from other scavengers
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