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.

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.

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.

Sciomyzid Fly

A female Elgiva cucularia (Diptera: Sciomyzidae).

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

Tephritid Fly

My first Tephritid of the year and my first ever Tephritis leontodontis (Diptera: Tephritidae).  Identification by Valery Korneyev here at Diptera.info.  As the name suggests, these flies are associated with hawkbit plants (Leontodon sp).

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