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Can anyone help with this? To be honest I don't know if these are flies or something else. There were 7 in total coming out of a Phragmites stem. This is not a reedbed, just a few plants at the edge of a broad ditch between fields and mixed woodland. Apeldoorn, province of Gelderland, the Netherlands, 11 August, 2012.

James

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I think it is more like the pupa of a lepidoptera (hawkmoth, fam. Noctuidae), some reed borer species like Archanara, Lenisa, Arenostola, Rhizedra or any other species living in Phragmites. Not an expert in this.
As I guess you're a Dutchmen check www.vlindernet.nl for more info

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Thanks for your reply - I'd be a bit surprised if this was Lepidoptera as they don't (as far as I know) live communally inside reed. However, I have just come across a a species of fly which may be responsible: Giraudiella inclusa. Is this a reasonable option?

James

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At first sight I immediately thought of some Dolichopodidae (Thrypticus sp), but as I was not familiar with this too, the second change was some kind of Hawkmoth, which also lives inside reed.
Check this http://www.cabi.o...y_sma.html

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Very interesting link - thanks - although I haven't seen a photo that really resembles mine. I think we can rule out Hawkmoths - the Sphingidae are just far too big. Whatever it is, it seems to have very strong jaws. I tried the photo on Waarneming.nl - category Insekten Overige - but there were no suggestions at all.

James

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James
If you mean these blackish protrusions, they are positioned on top of the head and are not functional mandibels/jaws. pupae do not have those. But looking at it they probably have some piercing function. I think they are called frontal horns or perhaps cephalic tubercles.
Ton

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http://www.dipter...d_id=29911

I named these Dolichopodidae, but forummembers thought otherwise
Ton

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Many thanks for the info - this goes far beyond my limited knowledge at the moment.

Prettige Kerstdagen/Merry Christmas,

James