#flyschool2026
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bertonemyia.bsky.social
Who's got 👍 👍 & grabs #flies to travel? This guy!!! It fell off the timber fly: bsky.app/profile/bert...

Someone also found a stilt-legged fly, #Micropezidae, w/another little #pseudoscorpion hitching a ride. This type of #phoresy (traveling on other animals) is common. Costa Rica #FlySchool2026
A dark reddish brown pseudoscorpion sits on a white background. Its claws have a thumb-like pointed process on top. A dark reddish brown pseudoscorpion sits on a white background stretching out its claws. Its claws have a thumb-like pointed process on top. A shiny red stilt-legged fly stands on a white background facng right. Grabbing onto its hind leg is a small pseudoscorpion.
August 29, 2026 at 9:24 PM
toldentops.bsky.social
Drawings based on specimens I collected during my costa rica trip! Featuring Ropalomeridae, Richardiidae, and Tabanidae #flyschool2026
#art #entomology
August 12, 2026 at 9:28 PM
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Heads up folks

Some Tabanidae that were sampled from the Canopy Tower at the Soltis Center, Costa Rica

These images show both differences in eye patterns & antennal branching. Sadly the eye patterns disappear as they desicate so images are important

#FlySchool2026 @dipteracourse.bsky.social
August 7, 2026 at 10:38 PM
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Check out this extraordinary female Eucelatoria sp (Tachinidae). She possess a sharp piercer that she tucks up underneath her when not being deployed, for oviposition - you can see her ovipositor nestled in this penetrating sheath!

Badass lady!

@dipteracourse.bsky.social #FlySchool2026
August 7, 2026 at 7:37 PM
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
A rather lovely male Artemita sp (Stratiomyidae), one of the larger Pachygastrinae in Costa Rica.

This genus mostly has species with hairy eyes, and this one is no exception

@dipteracourse.bsky.social @dipterists.bsky.social #FlySchool2026
August 6, 2026 at 5:42 PM
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
A female Physoptera (Phoridae) showing off/advertising her presence, by releasing pheromones through her abdominal glands (the yellow stripes on her abdomen). As you can see they have reduced abdominal plates (tergites) that allow these glands to expand

#FlySchool2026 @dipteracourse.bsky.social
August 3, 2026 at 8:04 PM
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
@bertonemyia.bsky.social asked his seven year old nephew to give common names to flies..

Do you agree? And can you name the actual families?

#FlySchool2026 @dipteracourse.bsky.social @dipterists.bsky.social
August 1, 2026 at 9:18 PM
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Lots of ‘whooping’ about the next lecture at #FlySchool2026 by @riccardi-p.bsky.social - genitalia preps

‘We use genitalia as its under positive selection’.

@dipteracourse.bsky.social
July 31, 2026 at 8:42 PM
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Afternoons lecture by Brian Brown at @dipteracourse.bsky.social #FlySchool2026 starts with Hypopygial circumversion in the higher flies

Instead of the males being dragged along, their genitalia has rotated to offer them some dignity 🤓🤘
July 31, 2026 at 7:38 PM
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Nothing is more amazing than a fly. And this fly #Pantophthalmidae is more amazing than many a fly. As @bertonemyia.bsky.social states, I concur - it’s the largest living fly I have seen 😎🪰

Go Costa Rica - go @dipteracourse.bsky.social

#FlySchool2026
bertonemyia.bsky.social Matt Bertone @bertonemyia.bsky.social · Jul 28
Spectacular catch on the 1st day of #FlySchool2026 by student Sangjin Han! This massive timber fly was flying around the lobby of the Soltis Center last night. At over 2"/5 cm this is the largest live fly I've ever seen 😳 Larvae bore in wood. Amazing! 🥰 #Pantophthalmidae: #Pantophthalmus Costa Rica
A large brown fly with yellow-tipped legs and pointy orange antennae sits facing right on a white background. A large brown fly with yellow-tipped legs and pointy orange antennae sits facing right on a white background. A human finger is resting above it to show the large size. A large brown fly with yellow-tipped legs and pointy orange antennae sits facing toward the viewer on a white background.
July 28, 2026 at 10:20 PM
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Day one of #FlySchool2026 and we are warming up with lots of amazing fauna.

I think the crab spider was my fav, but membracids (bugs) are fun and the Orthoptera huge!
July 28, 2026 at 10:19 AM
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Drilling into the participants of #FlySchool2026 @dipteracourse.bsky.social that boots/wellies in the jungle are essential.

As for the bullet ants..they come for you. It’s all giggles but if you leave your lights on, they will find you 🤓😉
July 27, 2026 at 8:05 PM
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
And so it begins…

#FlySchool2026 in Costa Rica. @dipteracourse.bsky.social tutors include @bertonemyia.bsky.social @riccardi-p.bsky.social @dsamorim.bsky.social, Giar-Ann, Jim Hogue and Greg Dahlem and myself.

Heading to the jungle…
July 27, 2026 at 4:05 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
Back in civilization after 2 weeks in the Costa Rican jungle. It was an amazing experience full of spectacular flies (+other creatures) as well as a truly wonderful group of students & instructors. The memories made will last a lifetime. ☺️ 🥰 Can't wait for the next #Diptera adventure! #FlySchool2026
frit fly (Chloropidae: Acanthopeltastes) A small shiny black fly sits on a white backgroundfacing the viewer. Its wings are spread and it has four large spines coming out of the rear of the thorax. mantis shore fly (Ephydridae: Ochthera) A grayish black fly with large mantis-like forelegs sits on a white background facing left. horse fly (Tabanidae) A golden brown fly with a huge head made up of mostly eyes sits on a white background facing right, waving its front legs out. stilt-legged fly (Micropezidae) A thin black fly with long legs and a bright red head and striped eyes sits on a white background facing right, waving around its front legs.
August 9, 2026 at 11:37 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
And if you want to see what they look like up close, here's a composite image I made (thanks to Nolan for collecting and wrangling them for me)

#Periscelididae: #Stenomicra
#FlySchool2026
A composite image of five poses made by a single little yellow fly on a white background
August 8, 2026 at 7:12 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
Another great video of the #Periscelididae: #Stenomicra by #FlySchool2026 student Nolan Lake (the students are calling them "pac-man" flies 😂)
August 8, 2026 at 7:12 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
Not only are #Periscelididae very cute, some of the less spectacular-looking spp. are hypnotic dancers 💃🕺

#Stenomicra shuffles back & forth, easily gliding across surfaces. This large genus is found in the tropics often on banana leaves, etc. #FlySchool2026 Costa Rica

📽️: Nolan Lake [more ⬇️]
August 8, 2026 at 7:12 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
OK I thought Scutops was cute, but OMG #NEOscutops is amazing! 😍 I'm now convinced #Periscelididae is, per species, the weirdest family of flies (more evidence from another genus to drop later).

#FlySchool2026 Costa Rica

[And yes, @americanbeetles.bsky.social, it's cool partly because of beetle]
A small round beetle-like fly with a shiny black body and bright red head walks on a leaf. Dorsal view. A small round beetle-like fly with a shiny black body and bright red head walks on a leaf. Lateral view facing left. A small round beetle-like fly with a shiny black body and bright red head walks on a leaf. Lateral view facing right. A small round beetle-like fly with a shiny black body and bright red head sits on a white background. Lateral view facing left.
August 7, 2026 at 7:43 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
Love this from #FlySchool2026 student @toldentops.bsky.social! 🥰

#Lauxaniidae is one of the most diverse acalyptrate #fly families. Larvae are associated w/leaf litter, thus super abundant/diverse in forests. They are HIGHLY variable so every time a student finds one they think it's a new family 😂
Plate showing variety of flies in the family Lauxaniidae specimens. A yellow fly with striped eyes sits on a leaf and waves at the camera. A dark fly with half black wings, the tips, sits on a leaf. A gray fly with large eyes stands tall on a leaf.
August 7, 2026 at 3:39 AM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
It's no fly, but it is an iconic species 🥰

red-eyed tree #frog male & female amplexus
#Phyllomedusidae: #Agalychnis callidryas

#FlySchool2026 Costa Rica
On a branch, a small male red-eyed green tree frog with blue patches on its legs lays on top of a much larger female that is a bit darker green. They both have orange toes.
August 7, 2026 at 1:58 AM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
This is what my camera roll looks like during #FlySchool2026 (and as it did during Fly School III in 2024) 😂
Phone camera roll full of photos of flies taken through the microscope
August 6, 2026 at 10:52 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
OK class: which is the male (♂️) and which is the female (♀️)?

[BTW - these are the smallest members of this family of flies I have ever seen!]

#FlySchool2026
Two small dark gray flies, one on top of the other and mating, rest on a green leaf. Close up of two small dark gray flies, one on top of the other and mating, rest on a green leaf. Close up of two small dark gray flies, one on top of the other and mating, rest on a green leaf.
August 5, 2026 at 5:56 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
Officially the cutest fly I've ever seen 🥰 😍
It was a target genus of mine & Ezra Bailey was kind enough to save her live specimen for me to photograph [we've been lucky to see more since]. They mostly run around rather than fly.

SQUEEEEEEE!!!!

#Periscelididae: #Scutops
#FlySchool2026 Costa Rica
A small dwarf fly sits on a leaf facing right. It has a yellow stripe down its back and dark wings folded over the abdomen like a little beetle. Its face is pointed into a small whit blunt nose. It's eyes are red with a couple light stripes. A small dwarf fly sits on a leaf facing right. It has a yellow stripe down its back and dark wings folded over the abdomen like a little beetle. Its face is pointed into a small whit blunt nose. It's eyes are red with a couple light stripes. A small dwarf fly sits on a leaf facing right. It has a yellow stripe down its back and dark wings folded over the abdomen like a little beetle. Its face is pointed into a small whit blunt nose. It's eyes are red with a couple light stripes.
August 5, 2026 at 12:19 AM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
The mint chocolate chip flavor of flies [I imagine] 😋

#Stratiomyidae: #Promeranisa
#FlySchool2026 Costa Rica
A fly stands on a white background facing right. It is mint green with brown stripes on the thorax and a pointed face with long thick antennae.
August 4, 2026 at 11:33 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
Check out these flies!
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.
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And of course the amazing eyelash viper 😜 😂 🥰

#Ceratopogonidae
#Viperidae: #Bothriechis supraciliaris

#FlySchool2026 Costa Rica
A close up of a brown eyelash viper face showing a few blood-feeding biting midges. A small brown viper wrapped around a small twig, facing down.
August 4, 2026 at 4:07 PM