Photo of the Day #758: Sand flies and brine shrimp : Laelaps

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Laelaps is the blog of Brian Switek, a freelance science writer based in New Jersey. This blog frequently features his musings on paleontology, evolution, and the history of science. Switek also blogs for Smithsonian magazine's Dinosaur Tracking.

Switek's first book, Written in Stone, will be published on November 1, 2010 by Bellevue Literary Press.

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Photo of the Day #758: Sand flies and brine shrimp

Category: Inverts • Photography
Posted on: November 9, 2009 5:13 AM, by Brian Switek

Sand flies (black bits) and brine shrimp (pink bits) at the edge of the Great Salt Lake. Photographed at Antelope Island, Utah.

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Comments

What do you mean by "sand flies"?

Posted by: Gunnar | November 9, 2009 6:25 AM

It looks like they are brine flies (Ephydridae; prob. Ephydra riparia. Sand flies usually refers to Psychodidae: Phlebotominae which a small gnat-like blood feeders. They are vectors of some pretty nasty diseases.

Posted by: Holytape | November 9, 2009 11:49 AM

Holytape; Thanks for the identification. I had no idea what they were called and had even less of a clue as to how to start to narrow down the list. These flies swarmed all over the edge of the Great Salt Lake, moving away in great ripples as I walked along the shore. They did not bite or otherwise show any interest in me other than moving away.

Posted by: Laelaps | November 9, 2009 12:42 PM

I'd read in a history about the Great Salt Lake that large numbers of which insects which I'd always thought were probably mormon crickets that had been driven over the lake and died would accumulate in vast windrows on the shores and were considered a something of a salty snack by the locals. When European settlers first introduced commercial ocean shrimp to the natives they called them "sea crickets" since to them that is what they tasted like. I've always wanted to go back to give 'em a taste myself. I don't suppose you gave them a try. Next time, maybe.

Posted by: doug l | November 9, 2009 9:32 PM