Monday
Apr212014

Bibionid Flies

A pair of Bibio sp, probably Bibio lanigerus (Diptera: Bibionidae), mating. Female at the top with the small eyes, male at the bottom with the large eyes.

Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2014-04-19.

Sunday
Apr202014

Anthomyiid Flies

A pair of Anthomyiid flies of the Anthomyia procellaris species group (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) mating.

Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2014-04-19.

Saturday
Apr192014

Holly Leaf-spot

A leaf of holly (Ilex aquifolium) with black spots. This above image shows the upper surface of the leaf, the image below shows the lower surface:

Under my stereo microscope most of the spots on the lower surface had a small hole at their centre and in a couple of these holes contained what looked like an insect egg:

Note added 2014-05-04: The black spots might be the fungus Coniothyrium ilicis. As not all of the spots have holes in them it is probable that the egg-laying insect deliberately selected the fungal patches in which to lay its eggs, presumably because the leaf surface was weaker there.

Specimen taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2014-04-12.

Friday
Apr182014

Ovipositing Hoverfly

A female Eristalis petinax (Diptera: Syrphidae).  Just a few seconds before it had dropped the yellow 'egg' from the rear end of its abdomen; dropped not laid: it seemed only by luck that the 'egg' stayed on the leaf.

Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2014-04-12.

Thursday
Apr172014

Sciomyzid Fly

A female Elgiva cucularia (Diptera: Sciomyzidae).

Specimen caught in the field below Chazey Wood, near Caversham, UK, on 2014-04-13.