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I found this fly dead indoors on 21 April 2014. I measures about 6mm long. I've been through the Belshaw key numerous times but still I'm not sure. At the moment my best guess is Macquartia tenebricosa but I'm not sure that the lower calypter is close enough to the scutellum, and the flight period isn't quite right. My second choice would be grisea, but this specimen seems too shiny black for that species even though the flight period is right. I have the specimen if more images or an expert examination is needed.
Best wishes,
Martin

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side view

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dusty face

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Hi Martin

You are way off.
IT is an Eryciini / Goniini, most likely Eumea.
Try again and see if this makes sense.
Or starting using the key by Tschorsnig & Herting, which is in my opinion way superior to Belshaw's. I know it is in German but I think Chris provides a translation on this website.

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Wow! Thanks Zeegers. I did blunder upon Eumea linearicornis at one stage during my meandering through the key, but decided I'd taken a wrong turn somewhere. I will try again with renewed effort, thanks to your guidance.
And I'll search out the Tschorsnig & Herting key.

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When I realised that the 4th pair of scutellar bristles was lurking below the level of the other 3, I progressed past some indecision regarding the post-pronotal bristles and the number of reclinate parafrontal bristles and arrived again at Eumea linearicornis. A quick google to check images of this species brought me to this post from last year http://www.dipter...d_id=57091 (!) There are a few records of this in West Suffolk, but none on the NBN Gateway for my VC of East Suffolk. Is my ID sufficient to submit this observation?

Record detail:
UK, East Suffolk, Ipswich
TM16644502
21-Apr-2014
M Cooper
indoors

Best wishes,
Martin

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OK, so Eumea seems to be confirmed.

From what I see,I'd say it is Eu. mitis.


Theo

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Wow again and thanks, Theo! E mitis is much rarer in the UK than E linearicornis. Currently there are NO records for mitis on the NBN Gateway. Hopefully Chris Raper will comment on this find.

And the fly came to me indoors rather than having to be searched for!!

Best wishes,
Martin

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Well, Chris needs to check the specimen, I am not 100 % sure on mitis.
But is is very grey (not yellow) and I see some hairs below the frontal bristles, all suggesting mitis rather than linearicornis.


Theo

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Thanks again, Theo. I've attached a profile shot as I see the Tschorsnig & Herting key refers to it, though I'm not sure I can interpret what I'm seeing. I'll send the specimen to Chris to see what he says.

Regards,
Martin

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Yeap, definitely mitis.


Thanks


Theo

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|t

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Martin is sending it over to me so I will compare it with my other mitis and report back ... it's not a species that I am very familiar with so I need to see more to get a better feel for them.

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Yes, now confirmed as Eumea mitis - nice record :)

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That's made my day, Chris.
Many thanks to Theo and to you for identifying this little chap.
Currently there are no UK records for this species on the NBN Gateway, but I know that doesn't tell the whole story. How many UK records are there for E mitis on the Tachinid Recording Scheme?

Regards,
Martin

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I would guess no more that 3 or 4 to date (Ivan Perry got the first) ... one of the problems is probably that the records become known to me a year or so ahead of the records filtering down to the Gateway. They'll get there though if we are sent them ;)

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Very nice to hear.
And it shows that mitis can be identified pretty reliable on its jizz: bigger and greyer than linearicornis.

I am surprised to read how rare it is in the UK. In NL, most specimens have been found late in the season (august - september).


Theo

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This specimen is actually a bit smaller than the linearicornis I have seen this year but it is greyer and lacks the golden dusting on the fact of linearicornis. The face profile feature is quite clear though and it does have a few more bristles below the lowest parafrontal, and the face-length to frons-length is perfect for mitis too :)

Eumea mitis was only recognised as a UK species in the last few years and so far I haven't seen any misidentified material in old collections but I haven't really had time to look in detail. It is a fairly tricky species to split so many novices might be misidentifying then as linearicornis if they have an old copy of Belshaw.