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Size 5mm.

[Subject edited to show a correct family label, Sarcophagidae instead of Tachinidae]

July 04, 2010, subject changed from Sarcophagidae at my balcony, 23.08.2006 to Sarcophagidae, Oebalia minuta (ID by Theo Zeegers and Liekele Sijstermans)

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A (more or less) dorsal view.

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The head.

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Please confirm if I did mark correctly M vein. As I saw here before, I suppose that tachinid flies have a bend in M vein... thank you!

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Yes there's a bend in M, but I'm afraid you marked a different vein red :( (that is, Cu).

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Vein M is the one across which you wrote bend. The bend is forwards. ;)

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Cu! :) It has so many meanings. :) Cu = symbol of copper (chemical element). it could meaning Cu vein in dipters. :) And it could be a little funny word for Portuguese. :))

Ok. I think I know which is M vein. ;) Thanks!

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I think now this correct. I hope! I added too C vein...

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OK with C :) - yet I think you still don't see the M bend clearly - it's closer to the vein's end, where it is supposed to reach the wing margin - and it doesn't curving upwards instead

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Let?s see now... hope that FINALLY it is correct...

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Looks better. To my understanding the M vein goas all along the wing, so the combination of the last two images would be an even better way to show it.

Now you can see that the M vein does have a bend! Tachinidae, Rhinophoidae, Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae have this bend. Muscidae may have a slight bend, but typically it is more like a curve. Anthomyiidae does not have a bend, the M vein goes straiht or at most slightly curved.

Of course the difference between a curve and a bend is philosophical.

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Yup - that looks better ... vein M usually either continues straight towards the wing edge (most muscids or anthomyids) or bends sharply forwards, as here in this tachinid. :D

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Can't quite see all the necessary features but if the depression doesn't reach the posterior edge of T1+2 AND it has only black hairs behind the head at the top then it could be Eloceria delecta... but I am not confident about this ID - I have never seen it before and it looks like something we don't have here in the UK.

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A Tachinid, is it ?
My first impression is that of Oebalia minuta, which is in Sarcophagidae - Miltogramminae. The fold to bend M and the 1 ad-bristle on tibia 2 are consistent with this ID, as is the general head shape and largely crassate arista.

Theo Zeegers

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Thanks a lot Chris and Theo - so it is quite probably NOT a Tachinidae at all - I also hesitated which family label to choose, I think it's the same fold in M region that confused me ;)

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Well, it is difficult

The fold extending from the bend in vein M is present and strong in (virtually ?) all Sarcophagidae, Miltogramminae included.
It is uncommon in Tachinidae.
However, it does occur there, for instance in the tribe Exoristini and in several other genera like Linnaemyia, Zeuxia to name some.

So:
No fold -> no Sarcophagidae
Fold -> Sarcophagidae or one of those 10 % of Tachinidae

Life is not simple

Theo

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Thanks again Theo - you're quite right about (that) life - even more interesting, though ;)

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Somehow I never gave my opinion on this specimen.

My first and last impression is Oebalia minuta (formerly known as Oebalia rufitarsis).

Liekele

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Many thanks Liekele.

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Gallery, please, Dima. ;)