Chapter Meeting – Wednesday, March 5th, 2025

The Joy of Flies

Allograpta obliqua, Oblique hover fly, Family Syrphidae, Subfamily Syrphinae,  Huntsville TX October 2023

Flies, taxonomically known as the Diptera, are colorful, elusive, beguiling, acrobatic, charming, and helpful. So, you ask, there’s more to flies than filth and bite? Yes! How would you know? Laura will guide you in a quest to find the joy of flies by taking a closer look at qualities across the wide diversity of the Diptera with an overview of dipteran life histories, feeding habits, and beneficial behaviors, and basic fly family identification.  All that; so, you too can advocate for flies and their important ecological roles.

Our speaker, Laura Kimberly is a Texas Master Naturalist in the North Texas Chapter. Flies and other insects caught her attention and earned her appreciation as she worked to rescue, propagate, and plant native flowers and grasses as a prairie restoration volunteer. After completing the Texas A&M AgriLife volunteer entomology specialist training in 2017, she has pursued many opportunities, from podcasts to college courses, to learn more about the habits and habitats of flies and other insects. She is a community scientist and insect photographer who uses those skills to advocate for flies and extol the benefits of insects.

Zoom — register here. (If you are attending in person, you don’t need to register for Zoom.)Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xOsjyRKTSE6ln2ePymYyAg

Schedule:
 6:30 Camera Roll and Socializing
 7:00 Introduction and Announcements
 7:20 Featured Presentation
 8:45 Adjournment

Join us at Dallas College Brookhaven Campus, Building H, Room 125. Campus map. Or participate via