New species of fly discovered at Lackford Lakes
The species, Melanagromyza moatesi, has been named after Graham who discovered its puparia in the stems of hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum). Hemp-agrimony is a herbaceous plant with clusters of fluffy, pink flower heads, much loved by butterflies and bees for its pollen and nectar, which grows in damp or wet habitats such as pond margins, riversides, fens and marshes.
The holotype (the specimen upon which the description of the species is based) reared from puparia collected by Graham from Lackford Lakes is now deposited, along with four paratypes, at the National History Museum in London:
If you'd like to find out more about the new species, check out "Warrington, B. P. 2019. A new species of the genus Melanagromyza (Diptera, Agromyzidae) from eastern England. Dipterists Digest, 26 (2), 181-194." or e-mail agromyzidaeRS@gmail.com.
Just imagine what else is there still to discover and name...