iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Tithonia "Torch". More orange than should be possible.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Man alive! So very many bumbles nectaring on lavender in our garden. It's the bee equivalent of free beer at the pub!

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I believe there are still people who are largely in denial about global warming science. Difficult to understand why.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Dolichopodids have been fearsomely difficult to find in this year's extreme heat and dryness, so it was very pleasing to find the scarce Rhapium antennatum in North Herefordshire, where our recording group went yesterday. The first county record since 1905! Swept off exposed mud around a scrape.

The head of a shiny green fly. It has remarkable antenna with long arista that are tipped by a small flag like appendage.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

We've known this for some time, but reading it as we swelter in conditions I never thought I would experience in my own lifetime really brings it home. Supremely depressing, and I just cannot understand why so little is happening to ameliorate what is coming at us at speed. GRIM.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

I rather liked this shadow on our kitchen cabinets yesterday evening.

Shadows cast of leaves and a tap in a kitchen

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

The first Perilampus species I have found in three years. P. aeneus. Such cracking little hyperparasitoids. Swept off ash tree foliage in my Shrewsbury garden.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

A splendid Calliphoridae spotted in the Wildegoose plant nursery shop.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Until the last year or so our Shropshire wildlife recording group had not found this tiny fly, Stiphrisoma sabulosum, but we seem to have got our eye in for it now, discovering it at various sites around the county. This one is from the town cemetery in Shrewsbury. Suction sampling helps!

A tiny 2mm fly with reduced and narrow wings

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Lesser Housefly Fannia canicularis. Not a common sight these days. I rarely find them when sweep netting. This is a single male swept from riverside grassland at The Isle, Bicton this week. In the 70's these were super abundant in many places!

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Buttercups in unmown grass patch adding much appreciated brightness to garden view from our kitchen.

A garden with yellow buttercups featuring.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

JOB DONE Following the Dipterists Forum's workshop in March I have identified all my Muscid specimen backlog. Even the Spilogonas! 194 specimens of 82 species. Particularly pleased with the tally of 9 Spilogona species. Key by James McGill and Flickr virtual museum by Steven Falk a tremendous help.

A pinned specimen of the Muscid fly Spilogona depressiuscula.

A specimen of a small Muscid fly: Coenosia femoralis

A specimen of a small Muscid fly: Coenosia humilis

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

A highlight of last week's wildlife group field day in Telford was the flies attracted to a small patch of weeping sap on an aspen. 5 Brachyopa - B. bicolor and B. insensilis plus 2 Ferdinandea cuprea. Otherwise it was pretty quiet for flies and other insects.

A hoverfly, Brachyopa bicolor, attracted to sap leaking from an aspen tree.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

New word. Apparently this bike lamp is "technologized"

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

I can access iRecord on my smart phone. But on my laptop my antivirus (Avast) says this: What do I need to do? The message means nothing to me!

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Anyone else not able to get on iRecord this morning?

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Spotted this amazing little brachypterous Diapriidae in a suction sample today. Llynclys, Shropshire. What are the mouth parts doing at the back of the head? Anyone any idea what genus this might be? About 3mm length. @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social e @ajcann.bsky.social

A slim shiny, black wasp with reduced wings and curiously positioned mouthparts.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Splendid: This Tachina ursina made frequent stops on my insect net at Block Wood, Ceri Forest. We were at 435 metres alt. so this is an early emergence, even for this early season species.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

An action shot from the team's successful day land caddis hunting

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Excellent! It's here and available to order from RES/CABI; the eagerly anticipated volume - years in the making - British Dolichopodidae. Really looking forward to having this sat on my desk. A colossal achievement by Martin.

A cover of a new handbook for identifying flies in Britain. The Dolichopodidae family.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Just found this image from ten years ago. Seven Lypha dubia resting on my hand. Good times.

A human hand (mine) with seven small flies resting on it.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Out for a walk in Shropshire today and I chanced across a nice pile of rotting logs. Did a quick sweep and got lots of Clusiodes gentilis plus a nice Piophilid: Allopiophila luteata. Made a good walk a very good walk. Always carry a net and tubes! @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @pilning.bsky.social

A small shiny black and yellow fly - Allopiophila luteata

A small shiny black, white and yellow marked fly - Clusiodes gentilis.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

A really snazzy 2mm wasp from a vane trap sample. Any idea what this might be @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social ?

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

I've had a roost of L calceatum using plantain seedheads since 29 June. Still going strong this evening. It's a wonderful thig to witness in one's own garden.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

I don't want advice like this, based on a study of just 10 people. What use is that? Bloody stupid. Guardian, you must do better!

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

A shot from the garden Lasioglossum roost this morning. I didn't get to the roost until 8:00 AM, by which time most of last night's 18 individuals had dispersed for the day. Quite pleased with this shot though.

2 male mining bees on a dead plant stem.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

End days for the garden male Lasioglossum roost. I returned yesterday from 4 nights away to find 12 males in the roost at 20:40 hrs, with two others predated by a spider. Tonight just 4 are in the roost (21:20 hrs). 2 more had been spider predated last night. 6 have gone missing in action today.

The dismembered remains of two male bees hanging from a plant stem. The bees had been predated by a spider while overnight roosting.

A spider feeding on two predated Lasioglossum male bees. They had been killed whilst overnight roosting together on a plant stem.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

4 July update: More photos of the male Lasioglossum roost (have to take the opportunity to keep grabbing photos). 4 July morning wake up. Some of these males had not dispersed by 11:40 hours and some were already arriving back by 13:00 today. A cool overcast day with strong breeze.

3 male mining bees roosting on a grass stem.

Around 12 male mining bees roosting on a ribwort plantain seedhead

Male mining bees starting to wake up from their overnight roost on a seedhead of ribwort plantain. There are about 8 individuals clustered together.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

3 July roost update. Tonight the boys had mostly settled in by 6PM and they have shown a strong preference for a single ribwort plantain seedhead. Last night they were dispersed over the same seedhead plus grass stems and buttercup seedheads.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

1 July bee roost update: 22 males in residence at 09:00 hrs in overcast conditions at 20° C. In this photo the bees are starting to stir before some began to disperse.

11 or so male mining bees becoming active after a night roosting together on plant stems and seed heads.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

30 June update. In the warmer conditions today the bees did not start arriving until 19:25 hrs. Again there are 21 males roosting on the same four close together features - 3 butter cup seedheads and a spent plantain flower. Do they "scent" mark the roosting spots? Poor images tonight - low light.

2 male Lasioglossum mining bees roosting on a plantain seedhead

5 male Lasioglossum mining bees gathering on a plantain seedhead.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

Lasioglossum male roost Update: The roosting males had all dispersed by 9:00 hrs this morning. Let's see if and when they start coming back this afternoon. Meanwhile let me bore you with more pics taken last night at about 21:00 hrs and this morning at 07:30 hrs

Male Lasioglossum roosting at about 21:00 hrs on 29 June

Male Lasioglossum bees roosting at about 07:30 hrs on 30 June

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Absolutely superb! I have a roost of Lasioglossum cf calceatum males in my garden. Maximum count so far 18. It's warm so thet are skittish and photographing them is hard. They have been building in numbers since about 16:30 hrs. This is just the best! Will give regular updates as it happens.

5 male Lasioglossum male mining bees roosting on buttercup seed heads.

7 male Lassioglossum males roosting on stems of and seedheads on buttercup plants.

A patch of unmown lawn in a garden in Shrewsbury, UK. A roost of up to 18 males has built up here today - 29 June 2025.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

The very aptly named Coenia curvicauda (Coenia "curve tail"). Just look at those fancy nads! From a small wetland in Bicton, Shropshire.

A shiny black fly with remarkable curved genitalia

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Serious stuff occurring in mid Wales!

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Huge congratulations to Worcester City FC on winning their play off final for back to back promotions. Great times!

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

Interesting distribution map for the Pteromalid wasp Callitula pyrrhogaster. Due to the efforts of a local band of naturalists, Shropshire is apparently the UK epicentre for this tiny wasp. These have mainly been found by suction sampling and very keen eyes.

A map of Britain showing a heavy concentration of records for Shropshire.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Extremely overdue project started today and it's going to be a long, long haul. My overflowing reference collection will be expanded into new draws and boxes. First to get attention are the Muscidae, which have degenerated into a chaotic mess. Expecting to finish in about 2 years time!

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

2 unexpected finds in the mid March sunshine at a fen in north Shropshire on Wednesday. The rarely recorded Angioneura acerba, and an unusual inland record for the shore fly Philtotelma nigripenne. A good start to the Diptera spring season!

The fly Angioneura acerba - an indistinct grey fly that is thought to predate snails in its larval stage.

A dark lustrous fly in the family Ephydridae - known as shore flies.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Garden treat in the March sunshine. This Pogonocherus hispidus paid us a visit today. Shrewsbury, UK.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Searching for winter active Heleomyzidae on a recently dead Muntjac on Wednesday, yielded a Shropshire first Neoleria propinqua. Also present were Crumomyia fimetaria & Spelobia clunipes (Sphaeroceridae) Unrelated, but does anyone know what this very dome shaped Chrysomelidae is? Oomorphus perhaps?

An entomologist searching a dead Muntjac for flies

A fly - Neoleria propinqua. One of 12 males found on a Muntjac deer carcass

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

Fans of lesser dung flies - Sphaeroceridae will be mildly intrigued by this product:

A packet of pills that share a name with a genus of lesser dung fly - Telomerina

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Tonight I am mainly doing Empidoidea. Apologies to the Fast Show.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

The Worcester News is using AI (artificial intelligence) to generate some of its content. It's not quite working is it?

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Something went wrong! An intriguing aberration in cross vein dm-cu of both wings. A specimen of Phaonia halterata (Muscidae) from Ballinluig Shingle Island, Perthshire.

Wing of a fly - Phaonia halterata - showing a peculiar aberration in one of the cross veins.

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

I think my email address has got out into the spamosphere (Damn!). Endless spammy mails purporting to come from my IP. Anybody else suffering this?

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Nigel Jones @lancefly.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

How I'd like to have this book. But. The price. £250!

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