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Location: Austria, 7.9.2016

Thank you for your help!

Helge

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up (:

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It certainly looks like Melieria, and as the tergites have no dark bands and the legs are yellow, M. omissa seems to be the best candidate. It is said to be "mostly a species of coastal marsh/swamp and tidal rivers where beds of Common Reed, club-rushes and other emergent plants are present in mildly brackish conditions" (Falk https://www.flick...528211005/), so dou you have a comparable locality in Austria?
Falk describes and illustrates the four species of Northwestern Europe. In Austria, there are at least two more, M. acuticornis and M. parmensis, but the wing pattern of these is different from yours.
Here I am at my wit's end. Hopefully, Valery will settle the case!
Regards, Sundew

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It is omissa, indeed. Claudia points on the sandy dunes with reed correctly, it is a favourite biotop of this species.
Austria (not only Niederoesterreich, but also Satlzburg and probably Graz have a wide range of biotopes not only for various Melieria s.str. as well as of the subgenera Phaeosoma and Hypochra, which could be real treasures!

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Hi Claudia & Val! Thank you for your help and your advice!
Yes, we have some comparable localities. I collected some of these flies in Niederösterreich, NP Neusiedler See, beside a small salty pond.

Helge

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Keep an eye also at Typha planting at pond sides. They look to be associated with Melieria sg. Hypochra and Phaeosoma, rare in collections; there are old materials from Saltzburg, some 150 years ago. The flies look similarly, just without extra bristles in front of back, next to the head.

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Ok, Val!