The Society for the study of flies (Diptera)

Platypezid larvae by Judy Webb

These somehow resemble woodlice superficially.  These were reared from Armillaria (honey fungus).  If successfully reared to adulthood, I'll add the name!

Stratiomys larva by Judy Webb

This is a fully grown larva of a Stratiomys sp (most likely S potamida, because that is the species that occurs at the site).  Found in the fen mud of a calcareous fen in Oxfordshire in early April.  The long 'tail' is actually a breathing device like a periscope and can be extended even more than shown.  The larvae eat detritus and can take several years to get to maturity.

Larvae of Volucella inanis by Judy Webb

Two larvae of this large hoverfly that breeds in wasp nests.  Size 1.5cm in length. Photographed in October '08.  Specimens courtesy of Andy Halstead.  the larvae had migrated down into the house of a person with a wasp nest in the roof.

The natural home of Callicera rufa larva by Judy Webb

This snapped off pine stump will accumulate water in the exposed hollow and provide a natural rot hole for C. rufa.  As trees in this state are rare, the provision of artificial rot holes in pine stumps is important to keep up numbers of C rufa.  Rothiemurchus pine forest near Aviemore, all information courtesy of Iain MacGowan.  Thanks to Iain for showing us the the larvae and experimental artificial rot holes.

Callicera rufa larval home by Judy Webb

Cairngorms summer field meeting.  The pine stump in the previous shot then has 2 slices of pine log placed over the artificial hole to provide some protection from the hole being flooded out (which can remove the bacterial food of C rufa).

Pine stump with artificial Callicera rufa larval home by Judy Webb

Again the Cairngorms summer field meeting.  This pine stump has had a hole sawn from the centre with a chain saw and then filled with pine chips and rain water.  C. rufa larva were seen in it the same year as it was created.  The water had turned to a sort of viscous slime which was a bacterial growth upon which C. rufa larvae feed.  Shown to us by Iain MacGowan of SNH and the Malloch Society.

Callicera rufa larva by Judy Webb

Larva of this rare hoverfly removed from its pine stump home temporarily during the Summer field meeting to the Cairngorms area.  It was very active and is in the process of wriggling fast back towards the waterfilled hole with pine chips (next photo).

Solva marginata pupal case and puparium by conopid

Reared from cases found beneath the bark of a fallen sycamore tree.

Cases and puparium of Thaumastoptera calceata by Judy Webb

The  puparium can be seen just poking out of the oblong-rounded case of this small yellow cranefly.  The cases are made of detritus and in this case are stuck to sedge litter from a calcareous fen.  The adult is seen in the specimens section of the gallery

Lipsothrix nervosa pupal horn by Judy Webb

L nervosa has much more rounded ends to the pupal horns and the horns are quite cup shaped (again described by Andy Godfrey)