#3780 · 🪰 flies & mosquitoes

Noon Fly

🇳🇱 Schorsvlieg ·Mesembrina meridiana

🪰 Flies & mosquitoes 📍 in the Netherlands

10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

1. © Janet Graham · CC BY 4.0
2. © Delicious Monster · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
3. © Zdeňka Nováková · CC BY-NC 4.0
4. © SilverBack82 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
5. 6744 PM Ederveen, Nederland:© Benno · CC BY-NC 4.0
6. Groesbeek, Nederland:© Herman Berteler · CC BY-NC 4.0
7. De Weere, Netherlands:© thegreatdodo · CC BY-NC 4.0
8. Leidschendam, Nederland:© Rob Westerduijn · CC BY-NC 4.0
9. 9261 Eastermar, Netherlands:© Michael Bakker Paiva · CC BY 4.0
10. Lisse, Nederland:© Michel Langeveld · CC BY 4.0

what is it?

Mesembrina meridiana is a species of fly, sometimes known as the noon fly . It is widespread and common between late April and late October, particularly in cattle-rearing areas. It is a large black fly with orange colouration on the base of its wings, on the feet and the face. Adults are most often seen on cow dung, basking in open ground or visiting flowers to feed upon nectar. Eggs are laid in cow dung, the larvae...

base stats

NL sightings 238iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 7,605iNaturalist observations

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

Spotted 238 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: the #29 most seen of the flies & mosquitoes in NL.
7,605 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named in 1758 (268 years ago).