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True flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- di- "two", and πτερόν pteron "wings". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced mechanosensory organs known as halteres, which act as high-speed sensors of rotational movement and allow dipterans to perform advanced aerobatics.[1]
Flies have a mobile head, with a pair of large compound eyes, and mouthparts designed for piercing and sucking (mosquitoes, black flies and robber flies), or for lapping and sucking in the other groups. Their wing arrangement gives them great maneuverability in flight, and claws and pads on their feet enable them to cling to smooth surfaces. Flies undergo complete metamorphosis; the eggs are laid on the larval food-source and the larvae, which lack true limbs, develop in a protected environment, often inside their food source. The pupa is a tough capsule from which the adult emerges when ready to do so; flies mostly have short lives as adults.
Allium is a good flower for photographing bees as the insects spend a lot of time on one flower head sampling the individual florets. I don't know if the resulting honey tastes of onions!
Common Blue butterfly on windy highbridge hill :-)
Not the perfect specimen though the first one i have got close to so far this year :-)
R1 fill-flash
The newly emerged moth is resting in the early morning as the mist rises, with its wings still slightly crinkled. Ridgeway near Kingston Lisle.
For my poem on burnet moths, see:
If you want Monarch Butterflies, plant some Milkweed. They are forever entwined in each others lifecycle as well as plenty of other actors in the process. My back porch this afternoon.
A rather hopeful small, damp muscid fly sitting on a sun chair in the garden. Focus stacked using zerene
A female Spreadwing damselfly (Lestes species) inserting her eggs in a plant stem. This plant is growing in a dry pond bed. When the pond fills with water the larvae will hatch from the egg and fall into the water to develop. Smith Farm, Maryland
Filed under: things you see if you keep a camera at the ready. Not something I was looking to capture, but it just fell my way.
Added to Explore at #404. Thanks all.
I'm having trouble identifying these. They are Skippers of some sort. If anyone can ID them please leave a comment. Found in my garden in the Austin, Texas area.
As I was standing beside the butterfly garden, trying to find a unique insect or flower, this mourning cloak landed at my feet. It stayed there long enough for me to take this one shot, then flew away.
There is something so elegant about this butterfly. The deep red with blue tones would be difficult to replicate with paint, I would think. The lacy cream edge is perfectly set off by the row of blue dots. It is, indeed,reminiscent of a Victorian mourning cloak in its rich, dark coloring and fancy accents.