Fly ID Please

[Tormentil]

Can sks ID this fly please.
It's feeding on Feverfew

[oxycera]

Just got a feeling that Laurence Clemons might say that its an Anthomyid, this or something similar seems to crop up very often here.

[Tormentil]

Originally Posted by oxycera

...something similar seems to crop up very often here.

I had a feeling that I'd met one before.

Flies are certainly not my forte.

Is there a decent beginners guide to ID'ing flies or are the variations/species too diverse for amatures to ID ?

[oxycera]

If you want to get into flies properly, start with hoverflies (get Alan Stubbs' book). It's designed to allow you to use a hand-lens and the illustrations are superb. Alan has also produced a wonderful book on soldierflies and related families in similar format. They are worth having even if you decide not to get involved in the 'nitty-gritty'.

[oxycera]

The only general guide worth having is by Colyer and Hammond in the 'Wayside and Woodland' Series. This is long out of print and a bit expensive on the 2nd hand market but it's a great book that has stood the test of time.

[oxycera]

PS
I think we're all amateurs out here.

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by oxycera

The only general guide worth having is by Colyer and Hammond in the 'Wayside and Woodland' Series. This is long out of print and a bit expensive on the 2nd hand market but it's a great book that has stood the test of time.

I keep hoping that Pisces Conservation will do an e-book version of it as they did for Southwood and Leston Land and Water Bugs of the British Isles and one or two other classic texts including Balfour-Browne British Water Beetles, E.H. Eason Centipedes of the British Isles.

If you google Pisces Conservation you'll get onto their website.

[oxycera]

Yes, they would be good candidates.

[Laurence Clemons]

Yes, it is an anthomyiid but a female. I rarely bother with females as males are usually more abundant and have much better specific characteristics. From its small size it is probably one of the Delia species. Regarding fly identification it is necessary to be able to identify families and there is a draft key available at The Society for the study of flies (Diptera) / Info.
After that you will need keys to individual families e.g. the Royal Entomological Society and Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica series. Many groups have only been described in specialist entomological journals and accessing these is a very time-consuming process. On the whole you will only make real progress with the group if you pin specimens and examine them under a microscope and this can be rather expensive. I have spent about £500 on pins and other entomological materials e.g. store boxes and tubes so far this year.

[oxycera]

Originally Posted by Laurence Clemons

I have spent about £500 on pins and other entomological materials e.g. store boxes and tubes so far this year.

Laurence must be buying in industrial quantities. A microscope probably is essential, however, despite what I said about a hand-lens.

[haematocephalus]

Originally Posted by Laurence Clemons

Regarding fly identification it is necessary to be able to identify families and there is a draft key available at The Society for the study of flies (Diptera) / Info.

I entirely agree with Laurence that this key is very good, but you need to be a member of Dipterists Forum to access the above link, and to download the key - just one of the many good reasons for joining the excellent Dipterists Forum! See:
The Society for the study of flies (Diptera) / Dipterists Forum information

Martin

P.S. there is an older (and less good but still very useful) key to fly families that can be downloaded from the Field Studies Council:
http://www.field-studies-council.org...udies/date.htm
(scroll down the page to find offprint no. 143 from 1981)

Martin Harvey