Dipterist, Entomologist, presenter, author, museum lover Principal Curator, Flies and fleas, Natural History Museum, London, UK https://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3mto6afoyek2hThe lovely @wildkatdahl.bsky.social & I went looking for Asilus crabroniformis (hornet robberfly) & weren’t disappointed - 20 including 4 mating pairs!! (Last image Kats 😎). A fab Sussex bottom Perfect habitat - chalk with dung @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social22 Aug 2026 11:28 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3mto6afoyek2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3mtdrm46bls2qWant to hear me talk about Motivational Maggots? Fundamentally-important Flies? or Inspirational Instars? Then come along on September 29 2026 for a @groundlevel.bsky.social event to talk gardens & climate resilience https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ground-level-presents-gardening-for-climate-resilience-tickets-199507487866818 Aug 2026 08:15 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtdrm46bls2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3msjmo2l7n22sHeads up folks Some Tabanidae that were sampled from the Canopy Tower at the Soltis Center, Costa Rica These images show both differences in eye patterns & antennal branching. Sadly the eye patterns disappear as they desicate so images are important #FlySchool2026 @dipteracourse.bsky.social07 Aug 2026 22:37 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3msjmo2l7n22shttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3msjckqubxk2mCheck out this extraordinary female Eucelatoria sp (Tachinidae). She possess a sharp piercer that she tucks up underneath her when not being deployed, for oviposition - you can see her ovipositor nestled in this penetrating sheath! Badass lady! @dipteracourse.bsky.social #FlySchool202607 Aug 2026 19:37 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3msjckqubxk2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3msglobfc3c2sA rather lovely male Artemita sp (Stratiomyidae), one of the larger Pachygastrinae in Costa Rica. This genus mostly has species with hairy eyes, and this one is no exception @dipteracourse.bsky.social @dipterists.bsky.social #FlySchool202606 Aug 2026 17:42 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3msglobfc3c2shttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3ms7c5sjv3s2kA 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.social03 Aug 2026 20:03 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms7c5sjv3s2khttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3ms4daxapas2iA 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.social02 Aug 2026 15:44 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms4daxapas2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3ms2fh4npuk23@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.social01 Aug 2026 21:18 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms2fh4npuk23https://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3mrxwsadui22yBloody love these flies [contains quote post or other embedded content]31 Jul 2026 21:51 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrxwsadui22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3mrxswzr2jc2eLots 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.social31 Jul 2026 20:42 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrxswzr2jc2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3mrxpe74glc22Afternoons 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 🤓🤘31 Jul 2026 19:38 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrxpe74glc22https://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3mrv3lmm3bc24In today’s @theguardian.com there is a more balanced article on the value of flies 😎 by Lucy Knight featuring Andrew Whitehouse @buglife.bsky.social and myself @nhm-london.bsky.social Lots are moaning but let’s think about the bigger picture..what is happening to cause an outbreak30 Jul 2026 18:39 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrv3lmm3bc24https://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3mrqh2bfix225Nothing is more amazing than a fly. And this fly #Pantophthalmidae is more amazing than many a fly. As @bertonemyia.bsky.social states, I concur - it’s the largest living fly I have seen 😎🪰 Go Costa Rica - go @dipteracourse.bsky.social #FlySchool2026 [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Jul 2026 22:20 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrqh2bfix225https://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3mrp6pwlntk2vDay one of #FlySchool2026 and we are warming up with lots of amazing fauna. I think the crab spider was my fav, but membracids (bugs) are fun and the Orthoptera huge!28 Jul 2026 10:19 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrp6pwlntk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3mrnoz3za722sDrilling 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 🤓😉27 Jul 2026 20:05 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrnoz3za722shttps://bsky.app/profile/flygirlnhm.bsky.social/post/3mrnbkylo422nAnd 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…27 Jul 2026 16:04 +0000at://did:plc:ojr4333u7kbpr7dzbgexso74/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrnbkylo422n