We're happy to announce another set of upcoming meetings! Here are the details:
We'll be looking at the superfamilies of the calyptrate flies. Specifically, we'll explain how to identify the groups using process-of-elimination. Using this approach, almost anything can be identified.
The Zoom meetings will open at 8 PM EDT on Sunday the 3rd and the 10th.
We're happy to announce another set of upcoming meetings! Here are the details:
The tentative plan is to work on IDing Nematocera. Specifically, we'll explain how to identify individual families using process-of-elimination. Using this approach, almost anything can be identified.
The Zoom meetings will open at 8 PM EDT on Sunday the 19th and the 26th.
I will be in New Jersey for the 17th field meeting of the North American Dipterists Society next week, so I will not be in a place where I can lead the meeting.
If anyone is interested in leading a meeting in my stead, feel free to message me. It doesn't have to be formal, just chatting and discussing fly stuff (or really, whatever you want).
We're happy to announce another online meeting this week! Here are the details:
The plan is to study each well-defined higher classification of Diptera from Infraorder to Zoosubsection. We'll spend most of the time discussing, and minimal time doing individual identification.
The Zoom meeting will open at 8 PM EDT on Sunday the 5th.
Our meetings in the future are going to be a little different. Instead of focusing on a different species or distinction each week, we will dedicate many meetings to each group.
For example, we have decided that for the entire summer (late May, June, July, and some of August), we will focus on learning the higher levels of Diptera, meaning distinguishing between Brachycera and Nematocera, and then certain groups within Brachycera, like Acalyptratae and Calyptratae.
We will not be having new videos for each session. We will spend some time at the beginning of each session discussing the topic, and then set aside about 30 minutes or less at the end strictly for identifying and asking questions.
In future sessions, we plan to invite others to lead some meetings on insect taxa of their choice (particularly flies), and I encourage you all to volunteer to do this. I, Zachary, would be happy to assist you in researching the taxa of your choice.
Only for meetings which I lead: those of you who wish to be more serious identifiers will sign up for me to review your identifications of the taxon after the meeting has ended and for the next few days, to provide feedback. TBD: Some sort of minimum # of identifications for this system.
I, Zachary, will continue making videos, just not weekly. They will be posted whenever I have free time, and I will make a journal post for each one so that you all will be notified.
We take your feedback very seriously, and any suggestions are immensely appreciated. These meetings are still a rather recent initiative, so we are always working to improve them.
That said, we're happy to announce another online meeting this week! Here are the details:
The Zoom meeting will open at 8 PM EDT on Sunday the 29th.
We're happy to announce another online meeting this week! Here are the details:
The Zoom meeting will open at 8 PM EDT on Sunday the 1st.
The plan is to focus on observations of Bibionidae (March Flies) stuck above genus level in the US and Canada. We'll spend most of the time individually going through observations individually while discussing questions and interesting observations.
This is an extension of a prior meeting a few months ago.
We're happy to announce another online meeting this week! Here are the details:
The Zoom meeting will open at 8 PM EDT on Sunday the 1st.
The plan is to focus on observations of Stomoxys calcitrans, the Stable Fly, in the US and Canada. We'll spend most of the time individually going through observations individually while discussing questions and interesting observations.
This is a review session, so we will spend less time learning about the species, and more time going through observations.
We're happy to announce another online meeting this week! Here are the details:
The Zoom meeting will open at 8 PM EDT on Sunday the 1st.
The plan is to focus on observations of Stomoxys calcitrans, the Stable Fly, in the US and Canada. We'll spend most of the time individually going through observations individually while discussing questions and interesting observations.
We're happy to announce another online meeting this week! Here are the details:
The Zoom meeting will open at 8 PM EDT on Sunday the 24th.
The plan is to focus on observations of the Bright Bee Fly (Poecilanthrax lucifer) in the US and Canada. We'll spend most of the time individually going through observations individually while discussing questions and interesting observations.
