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The unusual behaviour of this little (4-5mm) black fly with brown wings must certainly be a useful identification characteristic. It was frantically running around on a group of 5 wild raspberry leaves, jumping, it seemed, not flying, from one to the other. Sometimes it would suddenly stop for a second then race off again, either having eaten or smelt something. It did occasionally fly away but would soon return to the same group of leaves and immediately resume it's frantic running.

It did eventually suddenly stop, maybe to catch it's breath, and let me get a few pictures.

Watching the video of it (see https://www.youtu...yZz9IQQ38k I think it might have been 2 flies, a second one coming onto a leaf immediately after the first had flown off. It then ran around in the same manner and stopped at the same place that the first one had stopped.

In dense vegetation on stream bank.
21st Aug 2021
Flensburg, N.Germany:-
54.755886, 9.422174

Many Thanks in advance.
I really appreciate your feedback!
Ray

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Hi Ray, it's one of the Phoridae - I think genus Diplonevra.

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Many Thanks Eric,
Interestingly, when I was filing this away I came across another of my Phoridae enquiries where I also used the adjective "hyperactive" and it was 2 days later in the year, 23rd August. Could you take a look at it and try for a species ID because there are many photos of the dead speciman:- https://diptera.i...d_id=86640

Warm Regards
Ray