Nigel Jones
@lancefly.bsky.social
Entomologist. Obsessed with flies. Keen on wasps and bees. Enjoy other insects, birdsong, finding places free of cars and dogwalkers. I don't look much like my avatar image anymore. Love a pint or two of a well served pale ale in a cosy pub with no tv.
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
@dipteristsforum.bsky.social @pilning.bsky.social
September 6, 2025 at 8:03 PM
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
@dipteristsforum.bsky.social @pilning.bsky.social
A really snazzy 2mm wasp from a vane trap sample. Any idea what this might be @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social ?
August 18, 2025 at 8:38 PM
A really snazzy 2mm wasp from a vane trap sample. Any idea what this might be @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social ?
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.
August 6, 2025 at 5:19 PM
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.
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!
July 20, 2025 at 4:50 PM
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!
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.
July 14, 2025 at 9:31 AM
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.
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.
July 12, 2025 at 8:56 PM
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.
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.
July 4, 2025 at 4:31 PM
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 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.
July 2, 2025 at 7:06 PM
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.
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.
July 1, 2025 at 8:43 AM
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.
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.
June 30, 2025 at 8:15 PM
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.
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
June 30, 2025 at 9:49 AM
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
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.
June 29, 2025 at 6:54 PM
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.
The very aptly named Coenia curvicauda (Coenia "curve tail"). Just look at those fancy nads! From a small wetland in Bicton, Shropshire.
June 13, 2025 at 8:39 PM
The very aptly named Coenia curvicauda (Coenia "curve tail"). Just look at those fancy nads! From a small wetland in Bicton, Shropshire.
Serious stuff occurring in mid Wales!
May 9, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Serious stuff occurring in mid Wales!
Huge congratulations to Worcester City FC on winning their play off final for back to back promotions. Great times!
May 3, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Huge congratulations to Worcester City FC on winning their play off final for back to back promotions. Great times!
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.
April 17, 2025 at 1:14 PM
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.
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!
March 25, 2025 at 6:24 PM
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!
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!
March 23, 2025 at 4:11 PM
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!
Garden treat in the March sunshine. This Pogonocherus hispidus paid us a visit today. Shrewsbury, UK.
March 10, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Garden treat in the March sunshine. This Pogonocherus hispidus paid us a visit today. Shrewsbury, UK.
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?
Unrelated, but does anyone know what this very dome shaped Chrysomelidae is? Oomorphus perhaps?
March 1, 2025 at 11:34 AM
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?
Unrelated, but does anyone know what this very dome shaped Chrysomelidae is? Oomorphus perhaps?
Fans of lesser dung flies - Sphaeroceridae will be mildly intrigued by this product:
December 16, 2024 at 1:37 PM
Fans of lesser dung flies - Sphaeroceridae will be mildly intrigued by this product:
Tonight I am mainly doing Empidoidea.
Apologies to the Fast Show.
Apologies to the Fast Show.
December 14, 2024 at 8:49 PM
Tonight I am mainly doing Empidoidea.
Apologies to the Fast Show.
Apologies to the Fast Show.
The Worcester News is using AI (artificial intelligence) to generate some of its content. It's not quite working is it?
December 14, 2024 at 7:49 PM
The Worcester News is using AI (artificial intelligence) to generate some of its content. It's not quite working is it?