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Hello!

I know, Andrzej had written, he is a little bit short with time at the moment, but now is the big time for Heleomyzidae here... ;)

No. #1 is from the forest and about 8 mm big (Ostwestfalen/Germany). Suillia sp.?

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Another picture.

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I have been wondering about that. I too seem to see only Heleomyzidae right now. Is it that they are really winter flies, or just that they are the only ones flying now (apart from bluebottles, of course) and that therefore we notice them more ?

Philippe

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Hello, Philippe!

I think they are really more active and numerous in the colder season. I use an UV lamp for attracting insects for most of the year in the garden, but from early to late summer there are few to no Heleomyzids coming to the light. That starts in autumn, and I keep watching them until spring.

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Hi Juergen
Thanks for your comments.
I, too, use a UV trap, but mainly during the better months, so I have little or no record for winter. And anyway, I used to concentrate on moths, so this is a whole new field for me to investigate.
At the moment, my main source of observations is my greenhouse, which is not heated, but gets quite mild during the day. The flies get trapped there and can rather easily be photographed on the glass..
Philippe

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rather a member of Scathophagidae than a Heleomyzid ! :) (fore tibia strongly setose - not observed in Heleomyzid flies !)
Andrzej

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Hello, Andrzej!



Ups... At first I declare a Heleomyzid as a Scatophaga, now a Scatophagid as a Heleomyzid (haven't seen a Scatophaga for at least two months or so, now). Still have a lot to learn... Thank you for the correction!