CLOSED: what is my family among the flies...

I would love to know its ID but don't know what family I have to search..
Pics are taken on the 26th September on the country side

Not quite sure if this is exactly the same fly but it was taken a few minutes after the previous one..

I would say Scathophagidae, see the likeness to Scathophaga stercoraria. I got one a couple of days ago which may be like yours!

http://diptera.info/photogallery.php?album_id=43

At the moment I'm on bees, lol.

Looks like a Tetanocera species. Possibly Tetanocera elata.

That looks like it Enmos, I had one like this before but haven't got the pics on this computer, but I remember Slug killing fly.

Some very good pics on here: (I would like to know what camera she used!)

http://fotoanna.web-log.nl/fotoanna/2008/05/index.html

The black marks can be seen in this pic,

Thanks Wallaby and Enmos!

Yes, it does look like a Tetanocera specie. Not quite sure either about it being T.elata as in my second picture one can see a dark mark at the middle bottom of its head I miss in wallaby's last picture.

I think I better call it Tetanocera sp.

Indeed very exellent photo's! Her equipment is;

http://fotoanna.web-log.nl/about.html

That's wise I think, your's does look slightly different but I wouldn't know what other species it can be, unless it's a sex difference.

I have a better side pic I meant to post, it matches the one on the link very well.

I meant to say thanks for the camera euipment link, I thought it would be the high end Canon, not quite in my price range!

This message was edited Oct 28, 2008 5:59 PM

Yes, it does match the one on the link very well, but in this last picture of yours I also notice the black dot at the middle bottom of its head, so perhaps it is the sex difference like you mentioned..

I looked on dipter.info, there are others which are very close too! Yours does look to have a narrower thorax and maybe a different colour, and we can't see the abdomen very well but look at some Elgiva species, lol, maybe one for the diptera forum.

http://diptera.info/photogallery.php?album_id=45

Look also at Pherbellia sordida

http://diptera.info/photogallery.php?photo_id=802

Well the likeness of Pherbellia sordida to mine (the first picture) is really striking !
I think I should try to post it to the diptera site like you suggest... There are so many look-a-likes that it's getting confusing, lol! Thanks!

I put mine on too, there are other species of Tetanocera which look so much alike! Lol!

Yes there are...arrrghhh!

A creepy site with pinned-down species (gruesome I think)
http://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/album/029079019ap.html

Eeek, I daren't look!

I have a picture of it on my own website showing both sexes. It's not a very good picture however, but here it is: http://enmos.eu/image_pages/diptera/tetanocera_elata_01.htm

Thanks Enmos, I have had mine confirmed as a Tetanocera sp. on dipter.info, as usual they prefer not to go to species level (without a specimen) if there are similar flies. However, from your pic and those on the other link I am going with Tetanocera elata for mine.

I think I have changed my mind, lol, looking at Tetanocera species it could be any one of about four species!

http://diptera.info/photogallery.php?album_id=45&rowstart=90

So, safest to remain with just Tetanocera sp. The difference between species is often a single hair at a different angle, lol, seems silly but I don't want to contribute to misinformation. Lol.

Thank you Enmos, beautiful pics you have on your website! Yours look very much like mine too. I still didn't get a reply on the Dipera site....

Oh we posted at the same time! If I don't get a reply I will also stick with only Tetanocera sp.

I put mine on last night :) You might have missed my last post about my change of mind, lol.

LOL

I have made an entry, so will wait until you have yours sorted and added. I will then dmail Ken to let him know so he can add a pic to the Family list, as there is no pic for the Family Sciomyzidae yet.


http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/b/Diptera/Sciomyzidae/none/none/genus/0/

We both have a reply form Nikita, I would trust his judgement as he is quite an expert on diptera!

Mine is Tetanocera hyalipennis (without guarantees).

Neither of yours are Tetanocera, but he has given an unguaranteed name for your second! Euthycera fumigata.

So I think I will dmail Ken to ask if he can add the species rather than make anothe entry as Tetanocera sp. would be an empty entry.

Wow, how tricky it can be to ID these flies!
I just saw the answer from Nikita on the Diptera site and asked if he had any idea of the family of my first otherwise it will have to stay without a family name..:-{ lol.
I'm off now to find out the family name of Euthycera fumigata.

Ah it is Sciomyzidae, I was a bit confused..

This message was edited Oct 29, 2008 5:36 PM

Now I found another similar one in my map with 'still not ID flies',

a side view from the same;

I also have more of similar looking flies of different sizes, lol, now my attention is turning away from bees to flies again. I have 1272 images in my Flies Folder, that's only with this new camera. I had thought about separating those not identified in the Moths but got through those with some headaches. I don't feel like using more folders after having to reload all of mine as well as transfer them into their own files, I lost many names but do know some of them! I keep thinking I should reburn them all now I have transferred them, and that took a lot of time to do, lol, arrggh.

I think you should post that one on diptera.info :)

Wow, that must be a gigantic job!

Yes, I'll post it on the Diptera site.

I've got the answer on the last one from Nikita on the Diptera site; it is Scathophaga stercoraria.
I looked up its family and its :Scathophagidae

Oh but now I'm confused again! I just found a map in my 'Fly-folder' with the same name but has a different abdomen...grrrr...

Here it's abdomen looks very hairy and orange-yellowish not like the one I posted before which is more greyish and banded ;

But also the legs are different!






This message was edited Oct 30, 2008 1:53 AM

I saw it, lol, been over there. The furry one is the male and I'm sure I've got a female somewhere too, but it didn't look so obvious!

Ah thanks! That made it clear! :-)

Bonitin: Thank you Enmos, beautiful pics you have on your website! Yours look very much like mine too. I still didn't get a reply on the Dipera site..

Thanks man :)

You're welcome Enmos! But what makes you think I'm a man? :-)

LOL just a figure of speech, I guess, man.. :p

Ah I see, lol!