Photos of flies from N.Ireland

[jdoherty]

These photos were all taken in County Antrim, N.Ireland. Can you please help with IDs.
The dates, if it helps, were as follows: fly 1 - April 06; fly 2 July 05; flies 3 and 4 - June 06.

[Laurence Clemons]

1. A species of Phaonia (Diptera, Muscidae). Although the orange scutellum and wing bases are very conspicuous I am unable to name it at the moment. Note that there are also 4 postsutural dorsocentrals and several pre-scutellar acrostichals.

2. This looks very much like Phaonia halterata (Diptera, Muscidae).

3. Coenosia tigrina (Diptera, Muscidae).

4. Hylemya vagans (Diptera, Anthomyiidae)

[ollyk]

Great shots! The detail is superb!

[jdoherty]

Originally Posted by ollyk

Great shots! The detail is superb!

Thanks for the comment.

[jdoherty]

Originally Posted by Laurence Clemons

1. A species of Phaonia (Diptera, Muscidae). Although the orange scutellum and wing bases are very conspicuous I am unable to name it at the moment. Note that there are also 4 postsutural dorsocentrals and several pre-scutellar acrostichals.

2. This looks very much like Phaonia halterata (Diptera, Muscidae).

3. Coenosia tigrina (Diptera, Muscidae).

4. Hylemya vagans (Diptera, Anthomyiidae)

Hi Laurence,

Thanks for the IDs. I hope you will be able to provide an ID for the first fly which is quite common in N.Ireland.

[Laurence Clemons]

The first fly which I thought was a species of Phaonia is actually Mydaea corni (Diptera, Muscidae). Of over 4100 records for 170 species of Muscidae I have found in Kent Mydaea corni accounts for just 6.

[jdoherty]

Thanks for the ID. Any reason why this fly is common in N.Ireland but seems to be rare in Kent?

[Laurence Clemons]

Some species do seem more frequent in the north and west of the British Isles. However the discovery of any highly mobile organism such as a fly is often due to chance.

[jdoherty]

Many thanks for the info.