Dark-edged Beefly
Wareham, Dorset
Soldierflies RS Dorset Wildlife Trust

Yesterday we had the first records for this year of Murky-legged Black Legionnaire soldierfly, Beris chalybata, in Staffs and on Jersey, the 2nd soldierfly species to be seen as an adult in 2024 (after Silver Colonel, Odontonyia argentata)

Wheeeee!!! 🤣

My first bombylius discolor, Dotted bee-fly in my garden today.A very active insect ,not stopping for more than a second on each flower. Have had better pics !😅

Bee-flys.!! My first Dotted Bee-fly of the year & the more common Dark-bordered Bee-fly both at Bishops Hill today. #beeflywatch

A bit of sunshine and the bee-flies appear. Hooray (for both!)

Soldierflies RS #BeeFlyWatch

Dr Erica McAlister Soldierflies RS Dipterists Forum NHM_UK Biodiversity Royal Entomological Society AES - amentsoc.org LNHS

A brief first glimpse yesterday in the garden of a Dotted Bee-fly, Bombylius discolor, which for the past 3 years has appeared with remarkable consistency 2-3wks later than its Dark-edged cousin here. Photos from previous two years, phenological notes in alt text. 🦟💚🍃

Obvs, the big news this week was DOTTED BEE-FLY IN MY GARDEN 🥳 Other than that, records continue to arrive in small numbers compared to previous years - but amazingly we've had Dark-edged Bee-fly records from nine 10-km squares previously unrecorded 😲 #BeeFlyWatch

Great filming of a female bee-fly filling her sand chamber before using the sand to coat her eggs, preventing them from drying out #BeeFlyWatch

Had an excited happy dance when I saw this Dark-edged bee-fly (Bombylius major) today! Its the first I've recorded in our new garden and it was loving the scruffy patches. Stoke-on-Trent 14/04/24
#beeflywatch Dipterists Forum #naturegarden Buglife Soldierflies RS

Nature in my garden. My little plot in South London is brimming with beeflies - Bombylius major. Pollinating and twerking as is their way!

There is so much urban nature to be enjoyed

Soldierflies RS Dipterists Forum NHM_UK Biodiversity Royal Entomological Society AES - amentsoc.org LNHS

Today I saw a Dotted Bee-fly (Bombylius discolor, female) in my garden - hooray! 😍 This is the 19th spring since I've lived here and there's been no sign of then in the vicinity until now; the next nearest records are several kilometers away.

😱💔

Detail of my #rare Chrysopilus laetus pupa. A thing of beauty, an air of the extra-terrestrial. I'm not certain whether male/female, environment plays a part in #Dipteran embryology yet the pupal stage should determine fixed sex: Max Barclay Dr Erica McAlister Colne Valley Park Royal Entomological Society

Not a great pic but spotted a bee fly enjoying the dandelions in the garden - added to iRecord Buglife #beefly

A perfect female Bombylius major, seen 5/4/24 my Staffs garden Soldierflies RS Dipterists Forum StaffsWildlife 🦔🍄🦇 StaffsInvertGroup #beefly watch #beefly

Please do add the record to iRecord, numbers of Dotted Bee-fly seem to be well down so far this year!

Fantastic to see this - the life-histories and ecology of snipeflies (Rhagionidae) are relatively poorly known, so this will provide new insights 👍

This week we had our first 2024 record of an adult solidierfly! Thanks to Terry Crow for a record of Silver Colonel soldierfly, Odontomyia argentata. If you have wetlands near you please have a look for this fairly rare species, flying in Apr-May, info at soldierflies.brc.ac.uk/silver_colonel