Wasp Plumehorn Volucella inanis, a convincing wasp mimic hoverfly at Catcott NR, Somerset. Females can often be seen near wasp nests. The larvae develop in the nests. Discover the world of flies in our flyble bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @rdimond.bsky.social

Great summer for migrant moths in Britain - Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria) and Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatum) seen in good numbers is our garden in Oxford @upperthames.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social

Good to see the rare Yellow Loosestrife Bee (Macropis europaea) at Catcott Nature Reserve on the Somerset Levels & Moors last week @somersetwt.bsky.social @somersetlevels.bsky.social

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

Look out for the Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), Britain's largest hoverfly, at BBOWT's Dry Sandford Pit. It flies from May–November & is often seen on marjormam, scabious & ivy flowers - find our more in our best-selling #flyble bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @bbowt.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social

Lots of Jersey Tiger moths (Euplagia quadripunctata) coming to light in our garden in Oxford last night @upperthames.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @kitenet.bsky.social @tverc1.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

Off to the Pyrenees - should see Ectophasia crassipennis Twist-winged Parasite Fly. The male (left) is impressive but you don't have to go that far to see it. It was found in Britain in 2019 bit.ly/4dqQI8Z & is now widespread in southern counties @gailashton.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Our 'flyble' A photographic guide to Flies of Britain & Ireland bit.ly/4dqQI8Z is getting great reviews - most of the featured species have been given common names (AI review gets this wrong sometimes) making the book accessible to all @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social

Looking for soldierflies yesterday at BBOWT's Parsonage Moor (Cothill Fens) and was pleased to see females of the rare Orange-horned Green Colonel (Odontomyia angulata) @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social

The day-flying Six-belted Clearwing moth Bembecia ichneumoniformis seen at eastern end of Greenham Common today - lots of its foodplant bird's-foot-trefoil in flower @upperthames.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social

A tiny parasite fly (tachinid) a male Bishop's-mitre Parasite Fly (Cistogaster globosa) seen at Chilswell Valley, nr Oxford – female is all black. Its host, Bishop's Mitre Shieldbug is recorded there. Find out more in our 'flyble' bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social

Two large hoverflies seen on a lunchtime walk at BBOWT's Bowdown Woods, nr Newbury Volucella inflata Orange-belted Plumehorn & Volucella pellucens Pied Plumehorn. Check out our flyble bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @bbowt.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @wildlifekate.bsky.social

The rare Clubbed General soldierfly (Stratiomys chamaeleon) seen at BBOWT's Parsonage Moor. Find out more about soldierflies & other fabulous flies with our 'flyble' bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @bbowt.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @rdimond.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social

Most often seen in the north of England, Mountain Melick (Melica nutans) is an attractive grass that can be seen along the old railway line path in the Wyre Forest, Worcs, alongside its close relative the much more common Wood Melick (Melica uniflora) @worcswt.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Leading a walk for the West Oxfordshire Field Club in the wonderful Wyre Forest – the sun came out on Tuesday and so did the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries @worcswt.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @stevenfalk17.bsky.social

Off to lead walks in the Wyre Forest, nr Bewdley at the weekend - should see Dippers along the Dowles Brook. Great for wildflowers and insects (Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Logjammer Hoverfly) too @worcswt.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @rdimond.bsky.social

Look out for these tiny flies lurking around your bee hotel. Known as the Houdini Fly Cacoxenus indagator it lays an egg in a sealed mason bee tube, then escapes leaving its egg to develop into a cleptoparitic larva. Find out more here bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social

The Green Forest Fly Caliprobola sp;eciosa, a large & rare hoverfly - one of the gems of the New Forest where it can be seen around the base of old trees & stumps. Get into the world of flies with our 'flyble' bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social

SPECIAL OFFER – Buy our best-selling Flies of Britain & Ireland and our Insects of Britain & Ireland TOGETHER and SAVE £15. Order here naturebureau.co.uk/flies-and-insects-bundle-offer The offer ends 30 June 2026 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @georgemcgavin.bsky.social

Toadflax Brocade (Calophasia lunula) seen in our garden in Oxford on Aquilegia last week. We now see in most years now in our garden, so it's definitely becoming established @upperthames.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @rdimond.bsky.social

Tiny matt black male Callomyia amoena flat-footed fly (note the orange halteres) seen at BBOWT's Parsonage Moor, Cothill nr Abingdon (see our flies book bit.ly/4dqQI8Z) The female has an orange-banded abdomen & silvery patches on the thorax @bbowt.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Water Germander (Teucrium scordium), one of the special Fenland plants, features in The Fenland Flora by Owen Mountford & Jon Graham to be published this Autumn. Pre-pub offer now on, visit naturebureau.co.uk/bookshop & SAVE £25 on published price. Offer ends 31 Oct 2026 @bsbibotany.bsky.social

The tiny (3,5mm long) Tachypeza nubila seen at BBOWT's Bowdown Woods today, a tricky fly to photograph not just because it's tiny – it races up & down tree trunks only pausing momentarily @bbowt.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @worcswt.bsky.social - find out more in our 'flyble' bit.ly/4dqQI8Z

A bumblebee-mimic hoverfly Matsumyia berberina seen at BBOWT's Dry Sandford Pit last week before the weather turned damp and colder. One of the many hoverflies featured in our #BestFlyBook bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @bbowt.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social

Lots of insects this morning at BBOWT's Dry Sandford Pit - the highlight was this Large Ocelot Epiphragma ocellare, a spectacular short-palped cranefly with highly patterned wings (featured in our #BestFlyBook bit.ly/4dqQI8Z) @bbowt.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social

One of Berkshire's rare plants Upright Chickweed (Moenchia erecta) grows in short turf at BBOWT's Greenham Common. In flower now, it's easy to overlook as it's very short, but the sharp-pointed glaucous leaves can be conspicuous @bbowt.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Stripe-backed Fleckwing Dasysyrphus albostriatus basking on a beech leaf at BBOWT's Chinnor Hill in the Chilterns. ID'd by the slanted yellow bars on its abdomen & the 2 grey stripes on the thorax. Check out our NEW #BestFlyBook bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @bbowt.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social

A beautiful sunny day brought out lots of dancing male Green Longhorn micromoths (Adela reaumurella) at BBOWT's Greenham Common this lunchtime. @upperthames.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social We were on the hunt for Green Haistreaks but were probably a little too early for them

Check out the review in British Wildlife here bit.ly/4tlMckS for our recently published #BestFlyBook A Photographic Guide to Flies of Britain & Ireland @rdimond.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @worcswt.bsky.social