Irreplaceable fly described from Australia
Robert Redford may have a beetle, but musical sensation Beyoncé is fly! That’s right, Ms. Sasha Fierce has been bestowed with the taxonomic honour of patronymy by Australian dipterists Bryan Lessard...
View ArticleWhy Headlines Matter
I was browsing MSNBC tonight trying to stay up to date on goings on from around the world (well, at least the stuff that my Twitter feed hasn’t taught me already), when I saw this headline in the...
View ArticleLocation, Location, Location
Yesterday, UK photographer Paul Bunyard (@wildaboutimages) ran into a massive mating swarm of chironomid midges (family Chironomidae) while travelling through the Norfolk countryside, and shared some...
View ArticleA Myiasis Mystery – UPDATED
UPDATE: It turns out my first theory involving oestrid bot flies was full of holes. I’ll leave it up because the biology of the individual parasites is accurate and interesting, but see the bottom of...
View ArticleCitations, Social Media & Science
This morning I was reading a newly published paper that I found intriguing, not only for its content1 but also for who it cited — sort of. Among the regular cadre of peer-reviewed journal articles...
View ArticleNew species wants you to See No Weevil
Fact: flies are the coolest insects. If you don’t believe me, take a look at this newly described weevil, Timorus sarcophagoides Vanin & Guerra, from Brazil, which is doing everything it can to...
View ArticleA Scary Orange Boo Fly
Alright, it’s actually a slightly less scary sounding bee fly (Bombyliidae), but don’t let its mild-mannered name and fuzzy appearance fool you; this fly’s a killer! It may seem cute to us, but if...
View Article‘Tis The Season to Fund Science!
Today is Black Friday in North America, a day where all manner of consumer goods go on sale to jump start the holiday gift-giving buying season, and people go crazy trying to grab their share of the...
View ArticleBlack Fly Day
You can thank black fly expert Dr. Douglas Currie of the Royal Ontario Museum for this awesome pun: @bioinfocus @pselaphinae @jmedeccf Black Friday?I prefer Black Fly Day! — Douglas Currie...
View ArticleYou Must Bee Joking
Sheldon: Which bees are the best kissers? Leonard: What? I don’t know… Sheldon: Euglossa1. Bazinga. Not only is that a pretty bad joke (even by sitcom standards), but it’s also the scientific name of...
View ArticleTo Know A Fly – Coquena stangei
Bring up flies in casual conversation and undoubtedly you’ll receive a look of disgust from your company, often followed shortly thereafter by the words “hate”, “disgusting” or “gross”. Thanks to the...
View ArticleTo Know A Fly – Platypalpus apterus
Stop me if you’ve heard this one, but what do you call a wingless fly? Apterous of course! Proving once and for all that taxonomists do indeed have a sense of humour, meet Platypalpus apterus De...
View ArticleHow do Cicadas Keep Track of Time?
The east coast is about to get a little more crowded, and whole lot louder, as Brood II of the 17-year cicada (which is actually a synchronized cohort of three different species: Magicicada...
View ArticleTo Know a Fly – Colobostema marielae
On Mother’s Day, many men pick up flowers or make breakfast in bed for their partners to show their appreciation for everything moms do. If you’re a taxonomist, you can go a step further and give the...
View ArticleThe Bug Chicks need your help!
The Bug Chicks (aka Jessica Honaker & Kristie Reddick) are two of the most enthusiastic, creative and hilarious entomologists I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. They’ve dedicated their careers...
View ArticleDoes rarity really make things more interesting?
Yesterday a new carnivorous mammal was described from Andean Ecuador (Bassaricyon neblina; the BBC has an excellent write up about it), and it’s been getting a lot of media attention. While I’m happy...
View ArticleTo Know a Fly – Soldier of Emerald & Gold
In the jungles of southern Mexico there are treasures that glitter and sparkle more than even the most luxurious displays at Tiffany’s, so rare we’ve only ever caught a glimpse of them once. These...
View ArticleMammoths of the South Pacific: Did Humans Drive A New Species of Black Fly to...
On the island of Raivavae, one of the Austral Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, buried deep beneath the surface of a swamp in mud accumulated at the foot of a stream for thousands of years,...
View ArticleThe Fly Who Came In From The Cold
The extreme cold snap encompassing a large portion of continental North America (termed a Polar Vortex, which you can learn more about via NPR and Quartz) has made it dangerous to remain outside for...
View ArticleTaxonomic Activity on Taxonomist Appreciation Day
Taxonomist Appreciation Day has just come to a close where I am, and it was a lot of fun to see so many people express their thanks for the work that taxonomists do. I highly recommend browsing through...
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