California: Creative Mono Lake And Alkali Fly Images
I have a special affinity for the Californian landscape since I was born and raised there. It is one of the most incredibly diverse landscapes I have ever been to, including deserts, dramatic mountain peaks, rugged coastlines, and some of the most awe inspiring forests and trees in the world.
Death Valley | Anza-Borrego | Joshua Tree | Mojave
Owens Valley | Mono Lake | Inyo & White Mountains (Bristlecones)
Mt Diablo | Foothills | Los Angeles Basin
CA Coast | Northern California
This image collection from Mono Lake illustrates my scientific research about the alkali fly (ephydra hians) of Mono Lake. These remarkable insects have extraordinarily hairy bodies that trap pockets of air as they crawl under water to feed and lay eggs. The pockets of air form a sort of dry suit or super hero costume that keeps them completely dry!
You can read more about them in my research paper (citation below), in bioGraphic, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and The New York Times.
Research paper: van Breugel, F and Dickinson, M. Superhydrophobic diving flies (Ephydra hians) and the hypersaline waters of Mono Lake. (2017) PNAS.