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I saw this smalle yellow fly first time today - in numbers. First one in bramble bush, then 10 on a wooden pole in the Amsterdamse Bos (nutrient rich, on clay, quite wet), then 1 in my garden! Is is small, 2 - 3 mm. It hoovers slowly and if so you see a lemon pinhead moving.

What can it be? And what is this strange structure on the tip of the abdomen? I've seen it in at least two specimens, so it is unlikely to be teratogenic.

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It's a Thaumatomyia (Chloropidae)

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Thanks!

And the yellow grapes at the tip of the abdomen?

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No idea whatsoever.

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Perhaps eggs? (Although quite large.)

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Thaumatomyia are egg parasites. Probably those are eggs - of some other insect - and the Thaumatomyia is just doing its job.

Cheers, Eric.

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I don't think so :|. Thaumatomyia notata larvae are predators of root aphids, and I haven't heard of other species as egg parasites. In any case this little bundle of eggs would not be enough to sustain a Thaumatomyia larva. I suspect that these are its own eggs, perhaps laid under stress?

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I agree with Juergen that IF they are eggs, and this is still a big if, they are LARGE. This suggests low numbers and high larval survival. Is that likely for such tiny flies? Also, if they are eggs, it suggests some form of brood care - rather unexpected.



Doubtful, since I saw it twice on one day in different places. And my photography is quite harmless :D

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This picture I made in April.
It seems as if position, number and size of the unknown objects are the same as on Cor's fly.

Ben