For your viewing pleasure at Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Saturnalia and whatever other solstice holidays I've left out, I offer you the following festive images.
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| A stirring portrait of one of the vintage blue balls that adorns our 60s era aluminum tree. The garish yellow glow was imparted by a delightfully erratic and possibly unsafe re-issue of a genuine 60s era color wheel. |
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| A vintage "Tinsel Fly," which is also sometimes known as the "Silverbell ". I'm not sure of the scientific nomenclature, but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say the family is probably Dolichopodidae (aka "long legged flies"), and the species could very well be Tintinabulus argentum |
These flies were used by ancient Laplanders for decorating trees before the advent of synthetic materials. To get the desired effect, they would drape reindeer dung on the branches of the tree, which would draw the flies in very large numbers. The effect was spectacular, but trees had to be kept outdoors in those days for obvious reasons. This practice was known as "flecking" which is a contraction of "fly" and "speck."
The "Tinsel Fly" is not to be confused with its cousin, the "Fruitcake Fly," which is also commonly seen in December. The Fruitcake Fly (Drosophila claxtonii) is known for its ubiquity, persistence and virtual indestructability. They are considered a pest species, and are thought to be passed from family member to family member during holiday visits. There are no known insecticides for this pest, but old timers swear that bourbon does the trick. They say after you drink half a bottle of George Dickel, you just won't give a damn about the flies.
There are more pictures of ornamental flies to come.
Aren't you excited?
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