Amazing morning earlier this week on the Belchite steppe at El Planeron with Dupont's Lark putting on a great show for us. Stone Curlew wailing and Black-bellied Sandgrouse flying around with their bubbling trill were great additions to the soundscape

Probably the first photograph of a live individual of Cobboldia elephantis, the stomach bot fly of the Indian elephant. [Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China; courtesy of Prof. Dong Zhang, Beijing Forestry University.]

The early spring tachinids are now flying so this is a good point to launch the new Tachinidae on Flickr resource: flickr.com/photos/6307520…. Has photos of about 95% of the British species. Species accounts for even more. This is a truly fascinating fly group. Use alongside keys.

Flickr-light, stopgap treatment for Anthomyiidae taking shape based on photos of living ones I have to hand flickr.com/photos/6307520…. Will try to photograph pinned ones next year. They can be some of the most abundant flies in early spring, and some are head-turners..

A few Dipterans from yesterdays sweeping on the shores of Lough Gill, Co Sligo. (Date: 03.iv.2024). Clinocera stagnalis (Empididae) Coenia curvicauda (Ephydridae) Pherbellia schoenherri (Sciomyzidae) and Trixoscelis obscurella (Trixocelididae).

Empis verralli (Verrall's dance Fly). A British endemic common in upland areas of Scotland, Wales & northern England Craig Macadam. Not a new species (Collins, 1927). Was flagged as a British endemic by Fauna Ent Scand, and still is according to GBIF gbif.org/species/1583366.

All my images of living Empididae now on Flickr. Afraid it's only a tiny proportion of the 207 British species (and nearly all Empis species) but hoping 1 or 2 might make the new NatureBureau fly guide: flickr.com/photos/6307520…. Will try to get lots of new images this spring.

The enigmatic Sussex Tiger Cranefly Nephrotoma sullingtoniensis, only known from one site in the UK until Graeme Lyons & Alice Parfitt found two new sites last year. This one among a fair few on Sunday at Alice's site Hurston Warren and c. 20 days earlier than found last year.

This is a stalk eyed fly, Diopsidae, from Dr Erica McAlister 's Natural History Museum NHM Diptera collections! This is a male and his huge eye stalks are a result of sexual selection. These flies even lek like grouse - males meeting up to compare eye stalks!

At last - some decent signs of spring. The marvellous Drosophilid fly Leucophenga maculata and the seldom seen Cheilosia semifasciata. Pontesford Hill, Shropshire.

Rhipidia maculata male, a common and distinctive Cranefly with pectinate antennae and speckled wings

First day in the field this year in search of flies and I've peaked already with this amazing tachinid, Peribaea setinervis, a very distinctive species with it's bifurcate third antennal segment.

Felt like all the insects were starting to come out today even with the cold wind! Two flies of note were Cranefly Ctenophora flaveolata and the Pipunculid Nephrocerus scutellatus.

Always nice to see Epiphragma ocellare, a common saproxylic Cranefly that I find more often in areas of woodland with higher humidity

At last some decent spring sunshine. A trip out to streamside woodland yesterday yielded 2 top finds: A new site for Logjammer hoverfly and the scarce Anthomyiidae Alliopsis pilitarsis. Logjammer pic by Jim Cresswell. Dipterists Forum Steven Falk @xylota

OK mind BLOWN Allan Cabrero, Ph.D. showed me this amazing micro beefly Leylaiya spp with its concertina mouthparts…. Is this not the most amazing MOUTHPART you have ever seen???

The Chloropidae Neohaplegis glabra has been on my target list for a while now. I swept this one from the flower-heads of grasses on chalk downland whilst searching for Dicraeus.

Great day watching flies buzzing around an old 'Goat Moth' oak in the New Forest- here are 4 of the special ones seen today, the hoverfly Volucella inflata was particularly impressive #FliesofBritainandIreland Gail Ashton 💚🪲🌍 Rory Dimond 🌼🪰🌼🐝🌼🦟 Steven Falk Dr Erica McAlister Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust