Thursday, 21 May 2009

Noon the wiser


This little speck of life is the Noon Fly(Mesembrina meridiana). Some references call it the Mid-day Fly. Its common enough and seems to get its name from the fact that it is seen in the sunshine at the height of the day. If you take even a passing interest in flies you'll have probably noticed it. This one's a male I think - its eyes almost meet on the top of its head.
Inspired by Phil Gates' fantastic blog Beyond the Human Eye I decided to take a closer look at one I saw on hawthorn blossom the other day. Books and i/d websites only point out the coloured tops of the wings but for me, the stunning metallic gold, angular head markings against the matt black eyes were a wonderful surprise. Click on the bottom photo to enlarge it. Fly bling!
Rather like the St Mark's Fly of my earlier post, hard facts about the noon-fly are not easy to establish. Most web references say that the larvae are dung feeders. Great -prevents us from becoming knee-deep in cow pats. However, dig further (metaphorically) and others say the larvae are carnivorous and eat the larvae of other flies - that do eat dung. So take your pick. Any fly experts out there?
Posted by Nyctalus at 17:43
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10 comments:

  1. Phil25 May 2009 at 11:02

    Hi Nyctalus,I meant to comment on this excellent post sooner but have been searching for the information below. For anyone who wants to really get into cow dung and the insects that breed in it, then the following is invaluable:
    P.Skidmore (1991) Insects of the British Cow Dung Community. Published by the field Studies Council.
    Unfortunately it's out of print but I seem to remember that it was also published in the FSC journal Field Studies, probably also in 1991, which should be available in a university library not a million miles from you...

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  2. Nyctalus25 May 2009 at 13:07

    Bloomin' marvellous! As I rush off to track it down, I shall ponder on how I've come this far through life oblivious to 'Insects of the British Cow Dung Community'

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  3. Anonymous28 October 2009 at 19:14

    hey great! Greenfingers directed me here via a comment on my own blog which is normally mothy (www.martinsmoths.blogspot.com) but has ended for this year with a Noon Fly. Long live Noon Flies, say I. Martin Wainwright (coincidentally a colleague of Phil Gates...)

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  4. Nyctalus28 October 2009 at 20:28

    Hi Martin. Thanks for visiting and the kind comment you posted on your own blog. I look forward to comparing notes in the future.
    And, by the way, I never did find that dung book....
    Best wishes
    Allan

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  5. Phil26 July 2011 at 17:19

    Did you know there's a fellow dung enthusiast on the web?.... at http://sandywildlife.blogspot.com/2011/07/unsung-beauty-of-dung.html

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  6. Nyctalus26 July 2011 at 19:25

    Aha - cheers Phil. I shall rush there at once!...

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  7. Flora26 July 2011 at 21:08

    Good evening fellow dung enthusiast. Glad Phil said enthusiast and not expert. I also tried to find a copy of the FSC publication online today. Well and truly out of print. Must scout around fellow naturalists and see if anyone has a copy I can borrow or try local library. Lovely blog. Mel

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  8. Nyctalus27 July 2011 at 20:24

    Well hello Mel. How nice to make contact with a dung fan(thanks Phil). There'll be a copy of that booklet out there somewhere. Tip me off if you find it! Thanks for the positive feedback - always nice to get. I'm off to catch up with your blog now, so I'm sure I'll be in touch again soon.
    Best wishes
    Allan

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  9. Flora4 August 2011 at 15:31

    Hello Allan
    It's raining here today :-( so what better to do than to request an interlibrary loan for Skidmore :-) I have just received an email back from my library confirming that they have put in a request for me....so...Yay!! It has cost me £1.50. If you want/wish to get in touch with me re. this I suggest you PM me on Wild about Britain (my user name there is Mele). I'll let you know if they actually do source the booklet. Am beside myself with excitement. BTW Kingsdowner put a comment on my blog yesterday saying he'd heard from a North Kent birder that Maid of Kent had been found under another cowpat on an RSPB reserve (http://sandywildlife.blogspot.com/2011/07/unsung-beauty-of-dung.html?showComment=1312400032761#c6239990527243700396). Hope that link works. Green with envy. Very best wishes. Mel

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  10. Nyctalus4 August 2011 at 19:45

    Thanks Mel. Just had a look at that beetle. Blimey, that's an impressive beast. I would be very pleased to PM you on Wild about Britain - a) if I knew what it meant and b) if I knew how to do it. Just off to find a teenager....
    Allan

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