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Hello,

A very small one, this time. It's from August 2004 near Heerlen.

Thanks in advance,

Ben

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Hoi Ben,
After looking and consulting Paul, we think that it is probably a Sciomyzidae, and maybe from the genus Pherbellia.
The problem is that the body is somewhat too yellowish, and the wings too dark!
But maybe that is just the way it looks from its position in the picture.

By the way, you all see the big red blob between legs 2 and 3? That is a parasitic mite (probably family Trombidiidae says our mite expert Farid Faraji), which has attached itself with it's chelicera on the fly's body!
Greetings,

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A complete team analyzing my fly, that's perfect.

Thanks a lot,

Ben

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Just two questions that may help us decide whether we were right:
1. You mention 'very small'. A while ago you posted some other pictures of 'small flies' and one of them was a Psila. Many of us working on 'small flies' would not yet call that small. Do you perhaps remember the size of this fly in mm?
2. From the picture I think you did, but just checking: Did you use flash? That might explain the very pale face and the darkening of the wing (shadow).

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The fly sure was smaller then Psila, wenn Psila was 7 mm, the Pherbellia must have been about 4 mm.
Without my flash my life would be empty and meaningless.


Ben