The Society for the study of flies (Diptera)

This brief field meeting was a chance to access some lovely sites.  Accommodation was reasonably priced and with good food.  Despite a few rain showers and virtually no flies in droughted woodlands on slopes, we managed to find damp, even wet, places with attractive flowers and a good haul of exciting flies were found.  Here are a few photos.  A view of the mountain nearby from the accommodation at Tyr Morwydd, Abergavenny, acid oak and beech woodland at Deri Fach and a few flies.  The patterned wing cranefly Pedicia rivosa on Erica's fleece and my photo (at last!) of the elusive 'white footed ghost' cranefly, Dolichopeza albipes (can you see the white feet - males spend a lot of time flying up and down displaying these by shaded streams).  Lots of all sorts of good flies including many hoverflies and a fair haul of fungus gnats, I'm told.  However my best fly of the trip was caught in the Black Mountains area - the stunning and fearsome looking black and red wasp-mimic cranefly Tanyptera atrata - a female with an ovipositor that just resembles a dangerous sting!  A truly memorable trip.

others may have some photos to add?

Judy