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Dear colleagues,

I was able to collect flies of the family Conopidae during my field work on a remote French Polynesian atoll. This dipteran family has not been recorded yet in French Polynesia, so I am a bit lost on where to begin and look for the species name. Could anyone help me with the identification? Any hint towards subfamily / genus /... would be super helpful and is much appreciated!
Best
Sebastian

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I think Chloropidae subfamily Oscinellinae.

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Hi John, thanks for your help! I assumed this fly to be of the family Conopidae, because of the very long and needle-like mouthparts and proboscis.

The known Chloropidae species from this region include only introduced species: Cadrema pallida, Liohippelates flavipes, Siphunculina ornatifrons and Siphunculina striolata. Do you have a good literature recommendation where I might find identification keys to these species?

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It is not Liohippelates flavipes, which is well illustrated online.

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And it is not Cadrema, which is also illustrated online. Siphunculina fits quite well.

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Thanks for all your help and input so far. I don't think that it is Siphunculina, based on the wing venation. The venation in my flies looks highly different to that illustrated for Siphunculina, e.g. S. striolata illustrated here: http://drawwing.o...olata-wing

Might my fly be a Canacidae instead?

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According to literature Siphunculina has short R2+3 compared to most Chloropidae, so you do not have that genus.

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Besides Cadrema pallida, there is a second species of this genus reported from the Society Islands, C. samoaensis. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information or description of this species. Do you have any information or literature on this species?
If it is known of the above listed and known species of Chloropidae from Polynesia, do you have any idea or suggestion where and how I could find out the species identity?
Thanks for all your help and input thus far

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Siphunculina would make sense as you also noted that the mouthparts are long.

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von Tschirnhaus (https://diptera.i...lookup=864) is an expert on the family.

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Thanks for the hint, John! Michael von Tschirnhaus had a brief look at this species and confirmed me that it is NOT a Chloropidae, but instead a Milichiidae. One step closer to solving the riddle...