Noonday fly?

[col188]

Is it the Noonday fly - Mesembrina meridiana......... quite a pretty thing.

Col

[ChrisR]

Yes - though I hate 'noonday fly' - the scientific name sounds much nicer and rolls off the tongue really well - Mesembrina meridiana (an extremely common and easily seen muscid fly)

There isn't much that looks like M.meridiana, with it's shiny, jet-black body and orange wing bases. Only Zophomyia temula (a rarer, smaller, skinnier-looking tachinid) is even remotely similar.

[SusieBee]

Nice picture, pretty sure it is a Noonday-fly Mesembrina meridiana it's recognised by shiny black body & bright yellow orange patch at base of each wing.

I found hundreds of these resting on a wall during a recent field walk near cows...Read they breed in the dung of cattle & other large mammals!

Cheers SusieBee

[ChrisR]

Originally Posted by SusieBee

Read they breed in the dung of cattle & other large mammals!

Just one of the reasons that I don't collect or study muscid flies - too many of them have less than savory habits!

[Jason Green]

Hi Colin,

Agreed on M. meridiana - but with such backing before me it's not needed

Originally Posted by ChrisR

...Mesembrina meridiana (an extremely common and easily seen muscid fly)

Is it? Well I'm sure it is - but has so far evaded me on my travels...

Take care,

Jason

[ChrisR]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Is it? Well I'm sure it is - but has so far evaded me on my travels...

Around here (south Oxon, west Berks) in spring/summer it is - look on just about any sunny place (tree trunks or fence posts) and they're there Wish I could say the same for Zophomyia but it does seem to be getting slightly commoner in recent years

[Vincent86]

Originally Posted by col188

Is it the Noonday fly - Mesembrina meridiana......... quite a pretty thing.

Col

Yes, it is.

Mesembrina meridiana is a species of fly, sometimes know as the noon fly. It is widespread and common in late summer and autumn partially in cattle-rearing areas. It is a large black fly with gold colouration on the base of its wings, on the feet and the face. Adults are most often seen basking in open ground or visiting flowers to feed upon nectar. Eggs are laid in cow dung, the larvae are carnivorous, and feed on other fly larvae within the dung.

[col188]

Thanks

I see a fair few basking in the sun, but only in the Autumn.
Col