While Johnny was gathering Dahoon Holly (ilex cassine) in a Florida Baygall to give as specimens for the USF Atlas of Florida Plants herbarium, a Flower Fly (Ocyptamus Fascipennis) wandered in for nectar from the Dahoon’s tiny, white flowers.

Less than 1cm long (closer to 7mm), he likes to play hide-and-seek behind the leaves. It seems incredibly difficult for this fly to get around; and yet there is no breeze inside a dense baygall.

A Baygall is an evergreen forested wetland of bay species situated at the base of a slope or in a depression. Loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), and/or swamp bay (Persea palustris) form an open to dense tree canopy and are also dominant in the understory along with fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), large gallberry (Ilex coriacea), dahoon (I. cassine), myrtle dahoon (I. cassine var. myrtifolia), titi (Cyrilla racemiflora), black titi (Cliftonia monophylla), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), coastal doghobble (Leucothoe axillaris), swamp doghobble (L. racemosa), red maple (Acer rubrum), Florida anisetree (Illicium floridanum), coco plum (Chrysobalanus icaco), and/or Virginia willow (Itea virginica).
From https://www.fnai.org/PDF/NC/Baygall_Final_2010.pdf

Johnny’s Baygall is situated at the base of two xeric upland sandhills, and is affectionately known as “Joyce’s Garden“. It is likely a bear and/or panther den.

Shot with Nikon D5000 with AF-S NIKKOR 35mm 1:1.8G lens