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c.5mm, Clitheroe England 10 March 2010.

I've been looking out for Egle, but I don't think this is it, although it is early and apparently covered in pollen. It has an ad on t2 (visible at full res), and the head shape looks more like Delia, so perhaps in Michael's 'Delia C' group? It flew before I could get a second angle. Any ideas?

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Difficult with only one photo ..
But we can see some hairs on notopleuron.
When we look than at Delia sp. with hairs on notopleuron:

D.radicum / floralis = with rows of pv on t3 (seems not present)
D.planipalpis = with broad frontal vitta (eyes on photo seems almost touching)
D.carduiformis = also broad frontal vitta.....
D.interflua = has strong yellow base of wings and calypters (on photo seems wingcolor more brown and calypters whittish)
D. linearis = prealar absent (not good visible on your photo)

And what about Egle brevicornis....has also ad on t2 !

Shame we can't see the dorsal centrals....

Maybe Ackland can see it directly, but for me....i would safe it for now as Egle sp.:)

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I can't find hairs on notopleuron and I can't see why not simply D. platura

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Here's a full resolution crop. I think there are a few hairs on the notopleuron, but it's hard to be sure. I can't see the fore-tibial spur that D. platura should have, but maybe it is hidden.

I'm still sceptical about Egle. If the notopleural hairs are real, brevicornis would be the only candidate, but would anyone choose that name for a species with quite long antennae? And it does look very Delia-like. Could we agree on Delia sp.?

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A secondary question that engaged my curiosity was the source of the pollen. It's the wrong colour for willow, and the willow catkins are not yet open here. The only real candidate I could find was yew (Taxus), and this looks like the one, photographed today.

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Mostly pollen stick to hairs and we can see also pollen between the notopleural setae, but keeps debatable...
Is it possible to make a crop of the hindtibia (and sharpen it a little bit.. if possible)
Also i find the calypters very white for a D.platura, but...maybe the flash.

Joke

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I don't think you would see any more - it's too out-of-focus; and the pv direction is complete guess-work. I'm just going away for the week-end, but I'll have a go at it on Monday. Don't hold your breath :D

I didn't use flash.

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Hi Joke. Here's the unvarnished truth, noise and all! But I don't suppose this is worth any more of your valuable time! Thanks for your efforts :)

Stephen.

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I thought you would put on your boots,gloves,cap and search every bunch,tree,etc..in your surrounding to find the same fly....:D:D:D
But indeed i also can't see the row of pv hairs on hindtibia.....but we stil can't be sure what other fly it could be!
Only thing to be left ,..put on your boots......:D

Joke

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I did search very thoroughly, but I think it went up to the the top of the yew tree. :D

I found another male antho though - watch this space!