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Under the full sun, this attractive little fly looked like it was made of pure gold.
Dourbes (R?serve de la Calestienne, Belgium) June 2nd 2007
Approx 8-9 mm; On Ombellifer flowers at the edge of teh woods, close to pastureland.
I have posted a couple more photos in the gallery

Philippe

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I have got some images from a very similar specimen from Hungary. Theo told me that is Heliozeta helluo.

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My guess would be Eliozeta helluo but I don't see enough of this genus and the alternative (Clytiomya continua) to be able to say for sure. Unfortunately the best features (sternopleural/katepisternal bristles) used in the key are obscured in the photo.

According to Tschorsnig & Herting (1994) it is a species of warmer parts of southern & central Europe, so on the face of it this would be an unusual (northern) record. But phasiines have been spreading north in recent years so anything is possible. But if geographic range is a significant factor then Clytiomya would be the favourite.

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Thanks Chris, I have several more pictures, some of them on their way to the gallery when Paul attends to it. If I only I knew where ARE the bristles you are referring to, Ii might serach my other photos ?? ;)

Philippe

BTW the area where I found them is a very southern location in Belgium, with a rather warm microclimate (that why it's a "reserve naturelle")

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The sternopleural (also called katepisternal) bristles are on the side of the fly, between the legs and the wing-base and it is angled very slightly downwards :) On Black's recent thread (http://www.dipter...ad_id=6764) it was (luckily) pretty clear :)

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And I thought my photos were pretty cool ! When I see those in the thread you mention, I feel like giving up and collecting stamps instead ;)
Unfortunately I do not have any picture showing the area between wings and legs, so it will remain a mistery for teh time being, I'm afraid
Thanks for your help
Philippe

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Ho, the picture is cool, the bristle is simply on the other side.
Anyhow, it is helluo, as Chris suggested.

I suspect it to be very rare in Belgium, so good find.
You might ask Guy van der Weyer (Reet)

Theo

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Thanks for the suggestion Theo, I just did. I'll keep you posted on his answer.
Philippe

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Hello Philippe,
the ISNB-KBIN has a checklist of all belgian flies, take a look at their site. An update for the Tachinidae has been made by Guy vd W & Theo Zeegers (in dutch although... hope your dutch is better than my french...), look here:

http://webh01.ua.ac.be/vve/Phegea/2002/Phegea30-4_193-199.pdf

i was looking for flies/butterflies in Treignes & surroundings on 2nd/3th june :)

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Heliozeta (or, Eliozeta) helluo is not mentioned by www.faunaeur.org for Belgium. And Guy's and my update does not mention it either.
So, this might be the first record for Belgium !
It was high on the 'to be expected'-list, though

Theo

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Thanks a lot for that info. Although it is all a matter of sheer luck in this case, I'll consider it as a feather in my (lucky collection) hat!
Philippe
PS is one spelling more "correct " than the other, whatever that means ?

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I'd say Eliozeta helluo because that is the name on Fauna Europaea (http://www.faunae...?id=144281) and presumably in use by Peter Tschorsnig, who co-ordinates the tachinids there. It is also the spelling used in the Central European key so that would reduce confusion. I don't see Heliozeta mentioned even as a synonym :)

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The species is mentioned on the Belgian checklist (as Heliozeta) and a specimen is in the collection of the Belgian natural history museum.

grtz
pieter

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Heliozeta helluo is in" le catalogue des dipt?res de Belgique", Grootaert, De Bruyn et De Meyer en 1997!