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Hello,

My friend Paul Burly saw this on the South Devon coast and asked me if iI could identify this I have no idea and its not in any of my basic id books could anyone help I have some better pictures if that angle is no good

Thanks

Tom

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p.s its about the size of a bee

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Tachina grossa? Skip the white border to make the photo a bit bigger ;)

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Mesembrina meridiana. Muscidae.
:)

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I second Jorge:)
Pierre

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Tachina:D

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I second crex, and whoever says Tachina grossa :)

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I second crex, and whoever says Tachina grossa
you are 3-rd :D:D:D

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i don?t see any strong bristles in abdomen.. and T. grossa in gallery is not so dark like this one..
but really the head seems to resembles more a Tachina.. :) Who will win? :D LOL

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Come on, the bristles on its back (behind right tarsus 3) are thick like nails ! Moreover, Mesembrina doesn't have these white hairs on the occiput. And the wing venation, there is a sharp bend in vein M.

So to me, Tachina grossa without doubt.


Theo

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ok. you convinced me, Theo! Tachina grossa is the winner. :)

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I second ... third?... fourth?! Tachina grossa :) The pale head with its 'ruff' of hairs is very distinctive.

Tom: could you PM me and let me have the record (location, grid ref, date etc) for the tachinid recording scheme? :D

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Its body is not as hairy as Tachina grossa its body is very shiny it looks more like mesembrina meridiana but the head is wrong and it has a more bulbous body. I will try and put some better pictures on in a couple of days