The very large number of fly species, even within the UK, makes them at the same time interesting and often very hard to identify. I've been taking quite a lot of fly shots lately and have collected some of my best from the last three days here. I am also getting used to my two new camera bodies, having recently upgraded from a 40D to both 7D and 5D MkII. If anyone knows better than I what my subjects are, please let me know.
This first one is a 3-shot stack of a small fly I can't identify on a raspberry leaf. This was with the 5DII and MP-E65, lit as all of these are with the MT-24EX with homemade diffusers.
Next one of my favourite fly shots, a portrait of a Dolychopid fly (there are lots of very similar species). This is also a 3-shot stack with the 5DII. I also cropped in a bit for this web version, to show more detail. The definition in the original is amazing (not being used to the 5D!).
Here's a small fly that I can't name. This is a slightly-cropped 2-shot stack with the 5D.
This is the familiar green-bottle fly (though that name is used for several very similar species). The commonest in UK seems to be Lucilia caesar, but I couldn't swear that's what I have here. This is a single 5D/MPE shot, cropped a bit to show detail. It was taken after rain and you can see a drop on her head.
Next is a species I saw for the first time, certainly genus Anthomyia, and probably species Anthomyia pluvialis, though there are a couple of others it could possibly be. This is a single 5D shot.
Here's a very pretty member of the family of picture-winged flies, Tephritis divisa. This is a crop (the fly was very small) from a 7D image, using the 100mm macro.
Finally another one of those shots whose wealth of detail is breath-taking (not all visible at this size). This is a 2-shot stack with the 5D, and I believe the fly is Dexia rustica.
