I see tiny fruit flies, little wing-wagglers, quite often. In fact, for some reason, on warm summer days when I’m wearing a tshirt, they frequently come and sit on my arms (drawn by the coconut scent of my moisturiser perhaps, or maybe to lick my salty skin?). However, during a recent walk, when I spotted this little fruit fly sitting on a leaf, I knew immediately that it was a different species as the markings on its wings were quite different.

It was tricky to photograph as it constantly flashed its wings at me, but I managed a few reasonable close-ups. And, though I often have trouble identifying flies, with the two red stripes across its green eyes and those distinctive wing patterns, this one proved much easier. Say hello to Anomoia purmunda, a fruit fly that can often be found around Hawthorn as its larvae feed inside Hawthorn berries.