Thu 2012-03-29 
From a couple of years back: males and female green dock beetles, Gastrophysa viridula (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). The females are so swollen with eggs that their wing cases cover less than half of their abdomen.
Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University griounds, Reading, UK, on 2010-05-28.
Wed 2012-03-28 
Another Eristalis pertinax (Diptera: Syrphidae), this time a female as indicated by the large gap between the eyes on the top of the head.
Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-04-24.
Tue 2012-03-27 
A male Eristalis pertinax (Diptera: Syrphidae). This species is distinguished from the other similar Eristalis tenax and Eristalis similis by its orange front tarsi. A male because its eyes meet on top of its head.
For a top view of another male of this species see here.
Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, on 2010-07-30.
Mon 2012-03-26 
A metallic green Muscid fly, probably a female Eudasyphora cyanella (Diptera: Muscidae).
Photos taken in Barnard Castle, County Durham, UK, on 2010-08-07.
Sun 2012-03-25 
My second Tachinid fly of the year: Gymnocheta viridis (Diptera: Tachinidae). This is the only greenbottle fly with long spines on its abdomen that can often be seen sunning itself on tree trunks in the spring time in the UK (Chrysosomopsis aurata = Chrysocosmius auratus is similar but doesn't appear until the summer, see here).
Photo taken in the field below Chazey Wood, near Caversham, UK, on 2012-03-19.
