fly ID please

[animartco]

I spotted a very unusual fly yesterday. I took a photo but cant post it yet, and anyway I think a description would surfice, at least to get close.
Smaller than a housefly, normal looking wings head and thorax. Thin but not particularly long legs.
ABDOMEN very thin, with spikes sticking out along visible sections.
It was obviously a fly, (dyptera).

[JRsbugs]

You will need to post the pic to get any chance of an ID, there's a lot of flies which could fit your description.

Janet

[Jason Green]

Morning Ani,

Google Anthomyiidae... just a hunch.

Take care,

Jason

[animartco]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Morning Ani,

Google Anthomyiidae... just a hunch.

Take care,

Jason

Hi Jason, thanks very much for your suggestion. I did google anthomydae and it wasn't one of them. Wrong shape entirely. As I said it looked like a small house fly, small clean head and thorax and delta wings when perched showing this weird abdomen, thin where it should have been house fly fat, and with pairs of long spiky bristles along each thoracic segment. There were no visible bristles anywhere else and the legs were unusually clean, and looked as if they lacked palps (or whatever) on the feet, or they were very small. I don't think the photo would give any more information because the battery was low and I didn't want to risk taking it Macro.
Thanks again, Gillian

[Matt Smith]

Possibly a Tachinid then, try a Google for things like "Phania" or "Mintho" or "Eriothrix".

[animartco]

Originally Posted by Matt Smith

Possibly a Tachinid then, try a Google for things like "Phania" or "Mintho" or "Eriothrix".

Thanks Mat. It was a mintho. Shape fitted perfectly but didn't have the bright colours that show in some of the photos.

[JRsbugs]

Mintho rufiventris has red legs, Eriothria rufomaculata looks similar but has black legs, and sometimes the red on the abdomen is not strong or is missing.

I have some pics on this thread I started on Tachanids I have,

Tachinids

Mintho rufiventris is rare, but I have seen it two years now.

Here's the first pics I got, I have better ones since.

Tachinidae - Mintho rufiventris

There's a few Tachanids which might fit your description, if you have the photo it might be of help even if it's poor. Anything else is speculation.

[JRsbugs]

Gillian, as I mentioned already, there's quite a lot of Tachanids it could fit. I see you posted on the other best finds of 09 thread.

Look at the list we have here

Now look at some of the Tachanids on this site.

It really isn't possible to give any sort of idea without seeing it, now you might see why.

[animartco]

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

Gillian, as I mentioned already, there's quite a lot of Tachanids it could fit. I see you posted on the other best finds of 09 thread.

Look at the list we have here

Now look at some of the Tachanids on this site.

It really isn't possible to give any sort of idea without seeing it, now you might see why.

Yes, that's the thread that came up when I googled for a Mintho picture. So far I haven't found anything looking sufficiently like the Mintho Rufiventris for me not to be sure that it is one. The problem is that the fly in the picture is sitting on white gloss paint in full sunlight, so there is no colour showing, although the shape shows up quite well. Is there another species with the same shape but darker colouring? I live in an area of Kent very rich in insect life (Too rich I sometimes think. Open a window at night and I get smothered in em!) Can't get the pic up yet. Got to find someone to put it on the omputer for me.
Thanks all Gillian

[Jason Green]

There are several that look like Mintho - namely Cylindromyia, and common at the moment is the fatter-abdomened Eriothrix rufomaculatus. I'm not saying it isn't rufiventris - just that a photo is needed.

They are predominantly sun-lovers and so more common in summer, I found mine in June/July. Though I've seen one on the 'Net seen in August, I don't know how much longer their flight-season is.

Kent would be a likely area, and of course they are spreading now in-line with some other sun-lovers.