Existing comment:
Flies That Walk Under Water:
"... we can see a belt of flies an inch deep and six feet wide, and this belt extends clear around the lake -- a belt of flies one-hundred miles long."
-- Mark Twain, 1872
The above quote could easily discourage visitors from venturing down to the lakeshore. But there is no need for concern as alkali flies have no interest in landing on people or their picnic lunches. Also, fly numbers have dwindled since Mark Twain's day.
An important source of food for shorebirds, the alkali fly is a fascinating creature. |