Help with fly ID please

[LoveT]

Hi

Can anyone ID this fly for me please (or at least I think it's a fly of some sort, although the abdomen is ichneumon-like )

Taken in my garden yesterday evening, on a shrub having an 'aphid takeaway'



It was approximately 1cm in length.

Thanks for any help - I've never seen one of these before.

Thea

[Geoff F]

That long white beard suggests Dioctria to me, and possibly D. rufipes but there are several similar members of the Asilidae family.

And yours is obviously well pregnant.

[Gerel]

It's a robberfly (Asilidae) I'll try to get back with the species (if no-one beats me to it)


Steve

Edit, having seen Geoff's post. I agree with Dioctra, but I would have thought there should be more red on the legs in D. rufipes. How about hyalipennis?

[oxycera]

Looks like Dioctria baumhaueri to me.

[Gerel]

Apologies if I've got the wrong end of the stick, but aren't baumhaueri and hyalipennis synonymous?

[oxycera]

I posted before I saw your edit. The last I read anything about that was a few years ago when I thought the jury was still out. Certainly the name is baumhaueri in Chandler's British Check-list.

[LoveT]

It certainly looks like you've nailed this one for me - thank you all very much for your help, much appreciated !

Thea

[Gerel]

Originally Posted by oxycera

I posted before I saw your edit. The last I read anything about that was a few years ago when I thought the jury was still out. Certainly the name is baumhaueri in Chandler's British Check-list.

Hi John, I wasn't trying to start a fight, , it was a serious question as I hadn't been able to find a definitive answer. Some sites I found were saying that they were one and the same, others that there were two species.

regards

Steve

[oxycera]

I didn't think I was being aggressive If you go on to the Dipterist Forum site you can look at changes to the British checklist where I think this is discussed.

[Gerel]

Originally Posted by oxycera

I didn't think I was being aggressive If you go on to the Dipterist Forum site you can look at changes to the British checklist where I think this is discussed.

Oops I was actually concerned that you might think I was being aggressive, not the other way around.

Steve