Bristly, light-grey fly

Bruce Williams · #1 (**permalink**) 23-01-2010, 08:38 PM

Stockgrove Country Park, Beds. On electric-fence insulating clip on fence separating coniferous wood from meadow.

Help with identification appreciated as always:

Bruce

Jason Green · #2 (**permalink**) 23-01-2010, 08:45 PM

Evening Bruce,

Ah, a big grey fly... I'm never too sure of these! For me, it has a strong look of a Coenosia sp., various hair alignments on the face and general proportions look good.

It's a Muscidae fly, though an image showing the wing venation would help confirm this.

Take care,

Jason

Bruce Williams · #3 (**permalink**) 23-01-2010, 10:58 PM

Thanks for your help Jason

.

You know I rather thought you might ask for a dorsal view.....and....er.....unfortunately I couldn't get one. The fly was looking away from me (no doubt on purpose) and the fence-post was fairly high.

Bruce

oxycera · #4 (**permalink**) 24-01-2010, 10:06 AM

Can't answer your question Bruce as Calyptrata have never been my thing.
There seems to be a lot of interest however, in these Muscids/Anthomyiids or whatever they are, on various websites.
I am preparing the ground to make a BIG effort with these families this season so by next year I hope to have made significant inroads into their identification. It's all about bristles with these things and I think your brilliant close-ups should allow at least tentative suggestions as to the genus, at least, to quite a few of them.

Bruce Williams · #5 (**permalink**) 24-01-2010, 03:37 PM

We live in exciting times John, when it is still possible for an individual to work in still largely under-researched areas. I wish you every success and a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction in the undertaking.

Bruce

Laurence Clemons · #6 (**permalink**) 25-01-2010, 01:10 PM

It is a member of the Muscidae Coenosiinae. The genera keep changing names but it is in the Dexiopsis/Lispocephala group. I have seen too few individuals to remember the key characters.