Tephritid fly?

[shardman]

I found this fly last week but I'm struggling to put an ID on it, I'm hoping there's some fly experts on here that could help!

The closest ID I can get is to the tephritidae but it doesn't have wing markings so I don't think that can be right. It's small around 2mm, maybe a little less.

Yours,
Sam

[Jason Green]

Afternoon Sam,

It has a bit of a Camilidae look to it. I have no experience in this family - too small for my current approach, so will have to leave it there.

Take care,

Jason

[JRsbugs]

Look at Drosophilidae. They are not often identifiable, but can be with some. Clearer details would help.

[shardman]

JRsbugs,

Drosophilidae looks like a good match, a took a close up photo of the fly's wing (through a microscope) the venation is almost identicle to the fly at the top of the page you linked to, so are the body markings.


I'll take a good look through the photos there and see if I can get a match.
Yours,
Sam

[Jason Green]

Sam,

The thing about collecting specimens rather than using field photographs is that you can get identifications using every available feature and as such are not only 100% reliable once you have accrued some good experience but gives you field-intuition with the inherrent ability to do even the trickiest using their genitalia.

Whilst it certainly gives you a visual-basis for appreciating the aesthetic-diversity of a famiIy, if you collect I'd advise against the picture-match approach which is fraught with issues RE correct ID, are all the necessary parts on show and are they British. Instead I suggest you look into getting hold of the key to Western European species 'The Drosophilidae (Diptera) of Fennoscandia' if that's what this is - with a print date of 2005. I can only find it between £80-105, but it may be cheaper elsewhere.

[shardman]

Jason,

That's a very good point, there are a lot of very similar species, particularly with the flies I find them especially tricky to ID down to species level. In cases where I'm not sure I've been recording genus or even family rather than species.

I realise the picture match approach is not reliable however buying all the keys at once would cost a fortune! Do you have any reccomendations for books/keys that you have found especially useful? I'm planning on visiting the university library soon, I should be able to borrow some RES keys that might make ID a bit easier.

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by shardman

In cases where I'm not sure I've been recording genus or even family rather than species.

Yes - that's a good starting-point, to build-up a visual-interpretation of the family. The critical-aim when actually taking specimens though should be to get to species-level eventually. I have about...50 is it? Hymenopterans, including five different Osmia bees. I don't know what keys are out there that could be used so I have them stuck at Genus; however, it is fully my aim to get to species when I have the key or the right skill I hope to gain eventually as I'm sure is the case with you too

I often put difficult stuff to one side and think 'I'll do it in the winter'; this gives you more field-time when the inverts are out and the means to keep you in-practice when the darker nights befall us!

As for literature, I haven't done any work on Camilidae, Drosophilidae or Psyllidae. In fact, I suppose the keys I have go more with insects that aren't likely to be pitted! As for RES keys, a list is here: Royal Entomological Society Handbooks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, then try Amazon.co.uk, Pemberley Books, AbeBooks or RES themselves - they have some cheap-ish ones.