Brachycera Collection

Tabanus aeneus Surcouf, horse fly
Plate 67 from a drawings collection of Oriental and African blood-sucking flies.. Watercolour and ink on paper, c.1906 by Grace Edwards (1875-1926). Held in the Library and Archives Date: circa 1906

Gauromydas heros
The worlds largest fly

Asilidae, robber flies

Gasterophilus, horse botfly
The larva of the horse botfly (Gasterophilus) which upon hatching migrate internally where they grow and attach themselves to the stomach wall of horses. Photographed by Martin Hall

Gauromydas heros
The worlds largest fly

Glossina morsitans morsitans, savanna tsetse fly
Plate 63 from a drawings collection of Oriental and African blood-sucking flies.. Watercolour and ink on paper, c.1906 by Grace Edwards (1875-1926). Held in the Library and Archives Date: circa 1906

Philoliche angulata, horse fly
Plate 23 from a drawings collection of Oriental and African blood-sucking flies. Watercolour and ink on paper, c.1906 by Grace Edwards (1875-1926). Held in the Library and Archives Date: circa 1906

Snipe flies in amber
Snipe flies trapped and preserved in Baltic amber. Specimen dates from the Upper Eocene

Pegesimallus teratodes, robber fly
A robber fly, a predatory fly from Tanzania. Only the males have the long scales on the hind-legs, their use is not known but could be used to attract females

Philoliche longirostris, horse fly
A horse fly specimen from India. This fly uses its long proboscis to feed at flowers. The mouthparts of the female also include shorter blades with which it takes blood

Two birds on title page, waiting for crumbs
Heart-shaped enamel on metal badge made by Ernestine Mills (1871-1959), possibly for the W.S.P.Us Womens Exhibition of 1909

Brachyera family specimens
Examples of five Brachyera families showing diversity of appearance, Apioceridae, Mydidae, Empididae, Pelecorhynchidae and Nemestrinidae. Specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Mallophora infernalis, robber flies
Robber fly, male and female captured in Brazil carrying a katydid as prey (seen underneath). Specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Brachycerous fly
The family Nemestrinidae comprises almost 300 species of brachycerous flies. Larvae of this family are parasitoids of Orthoptera and scarabeus beetle larvae

Hyperechia nigripennis, robber fly
A robber fly, an African predatory fly with a carpenter bee (Xylocopa) that it mimics. Specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Horse-fly in resin
A horse-fly preserved in resin, no more than a few hundred years old

Snipe fly in amber
Snipe fly in Baltic amber dating from the Upper Eocene period and is about 35 million years old

Horsefly in Baltic amber
A horsefly, Diptera: Brachycera: Tabanidae trapped in Baltic amber and dates from the Upper Eocene. Amber is fossilised tree resin

Chrysopilus sp. fossil fly in amber
This Baltic amber specimen is Oligocene and from East Prussia. It has been polished to make a pendant with the beautifully preserved fly as a centre piece

Insects in copal
Two flies trapped in copal from East Africa - Rhagio sp. and Chrysopilus sp. Specimens date from modern to pleistocene (2 million years ago). Copal is a more mature form of amber

Tabanus autumnalis, horse fly
Original painting of a horse fly by Amadeo J. E. Terzi, (1872-1956)

Snipe fly in Baltic amber
A snipe fly preserved in Baltic amber with a pseudoscorpion hanging onto its legs. Specimen dates from the Upper Eocene, about 35 million years old

Symphoromyia pachyceras, snipe fly
Snipe fly from California, U.S.A. Females of this fly feed on blood which is necessary for egg production. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Bombyliidae specimens
Bee-flies from around the world, clockwise from top left: Systropus, Bombylius, Cephalopdromia and Ligyra. Adults are flower feeders, the larvae are parasitoids of other insects

Achias rothschildi
Photograph of Achias rothschildi

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