Is this a gall fly?

[nutmeg]

I took these photos of a fly recently in mid-Lincolnshire; it was on bryony. I'd consigned it (along with many other images) to my 'unlikely to find an ID' category, but spotted some shots of one that looks extremely similar on a photo site today. These shots were labelled as 'Gall Fly - Goniglossum wiedemanni' and my searches revealed that its larvae feed within bryony fruit. I thought I'd ask here if this fly is distinctive enough to be able to ID it.

Not brilliant photos - rather heavily cropped.

[oxycera]

Certainly looks like it, although I'm viewing from work and can't take it any further at the moment. Not one I've found in S.Yorks - worth looking out for.

[Lord V]

Was going to say it looks like a Tephritid picture wing fly- but having looked at some other pics looks like we are both right and your ID is spot on- It is a Tephritid gall fly

[Jason Green]

The photo looks a bit like a tephritid sp, are these the same as Picture-frame species?

[Laurence Clemons]

It is Goniglossum. I have only seen this twice before and both occasions in 1986! Could you PM me the data (date, site and grid reference) so that I can add the record to the British Tephritidae Recording Scheme database?

[nutmeg]

Thanks for confirming ID - appreciated

I had no idea it wasn't particularly common - I'm afraid it was just another fly and pure chance that I spotted a photo that looked the same.

[nutmeg]

I went back to the same site today to see if I could see any more of these flies - and spotted two in cop.





Again the light wasn't great and it was blowing a gale - so a bit disappointed with the photos. Will have to try again - if we get a bright windless day anytime soon


I also found these flies on thistles (seemed to only be on thistles) and wondered if this is also a Tephritid fly? I've tried to show slightly different angles:

[poschiavanus]

I think these might be Urophora stylata, and if so they should be mainly (entirely?) on Spear Thistle. There are other similar species on Marsh and Creeping Thistle, but so far I've only seen the ones on Spear Thistle, which look very similar to your images.

poschiavanus

[oxycera]

Last set Xyphosia miliaria

[nutmeg]

Poschiavanus, thanks for your suggestion , but I'm not sure the wing patterning or colour is quite right.

Originally Posted by oxycera

Last set Xyphosia miliaria

Thanks oxycera - certainly looks like images I've found of this