I found this male (eyes touching) and female (eyes separate) tapered drone flies (Eristalis pertinax) resting on adjacent primrose leaves in a local wood last weekend.
Found this female Tachinid fly (Cistogaster globosa) feeding on hogweed in the margin of a strawberry field last August. Apparently, they are parasitoids of the Bishop's Mitre shieldbug (Aelia acuminata).
Around this time last year, we asked the fine folks at @CerealsEvent, "What do you think about fly pollination?"
Thanks @Farmer_Tom_UK, you hit the nail on the head. (@flygirlNHM we've still got some work to do getting the word out)🗣️
Here's a female common snout-hoverfly (Rhingia campestris) feeding on midland hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) and a female St Mark's fly (Bibio marci) both from Standen NT @StandenNT#wildflowerhour
Coriander may prove effective at luring in lacewings to #strawberry crops for aphid #biocontrol. Coriander and two other flower species also increased numbers of #pollinators compared to control plots. Here's a link to the paper: sciencedirect.com/science/ar…
ALT male Tiger fly, a small grey bristly fly with yellow legs and big eyes
ALT female Tiger fly, a small grey bristly fly with grey legs and big eyes
ALT View of the Natural History Museum's butterfly house where the new flies were found. Lush tropical vegetation with butterflies and curious people...
Apologies for the shaky footage, we got in a flap ourselves capturing this Dark- edged bee-fly as they are usually too fast to film.This one was warming up for flight on a garden wall in Newport and despite its name and looks it's not a bee it's actually a fly!#MyWildNewport
Really enjoyed watching this documentary, inspired to start searching the hedgerows in autumn for hidden gems.
Apples: British to the Core: bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0… via @bbciplayer
We should recognise all our 'wildflowers' (not weeds) that are so vital for bees. Save part of your garden for these important plants! And let your hedgerows bloom! For tips on how to help pollinators, see pollinators.ie#AllIrelandPollinatorPlan