A new fly for Leicestershire has turned up in a Ratby garden. More...

Flies don’t generally get much positive publicity so we are trying to break the mould! This stocky and large-eyed fly is in the Sarcophagidae family, the same group as the more familiar Flesh Flies. The common name of Miltogramma punctata - Spotted Bee-burglar - gives a clue to its ecology. The larvae are found in the underground nests of bees and wasps where they steal their food. Though widespread across England and Wales, it is rather local and most commonly found where there is light soils, such as coastal dunes and heathland. The adults fly from May to August and can be found feeding on flowers such as Yarrow, Ragwort and Daisies. The fly in the photograph was found by David Nicholls in his Ratby garden visiting Oxeye Daisy.