Insects

Deer Bot Fly

An odd-looking fly with an even odder life history.

Sky Pirates!

Pyrgota undata, a boldly marked, largely nocturnal fly, is a parasite of May beetles, usually attacking its host in mid-air.

Colletes productus

A highly specialized bee, associated with the wetland shrub Lyonia ligustrina, is documented in iNaturalist.

Stiletto Flies

Perhaps because of their elongated shape, members of the fly family Therevidae have acquired the common name “stiletto flies.”

New Arrival

Deliberately or by accident, humans have transported many thousands of species from their native ranges to new regions or continents.

“Mystery Fly” on the Vineyard’s South Shore

A rarely reported, carrion-loving fly turns up on the southern shoreline of Martha’s Vineyard.

New Wasp Species for Vineyard Atlas of Life

An interesting species was added to the BWorks Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life project on iNaturalist last weekend: Vespula vidua, sometimes known as the widow yellowjacket.

Don’t Take Flies for Granted

Flies — the order Diptera — tend to be either ignored or reviled by humans. But this diverse group of insects, with about 17,000 known species in North America, is of enormous ecological importance.

Butterfly Season

With mild weather finally forecast for this week, odds are good that the year’s earliest butterflies will be on the wing.