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This little one landed on my finger and was very reluctant to leave. When prodded it would simply move onto the prodding finger and settle down again. It is no more than 2mm long. Can anyone ID this little one for me? All help greatly appreciated.

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This is going to be very tricky to identify because I don't think we have anyone on the forum who is experienced with Australasian tachinids ... especially the tiny little black+grey ones ;) That said, in Europe I would guess from the size & colour that it would be a Siphoniine, like an Actia sp. but on yours the frons looks way too wide for that group. Perhaps Theo can suggest something though :)

Would help if you could get some shots of it from other angles - a few lateral and dorsal would be good :)

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Another view

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prealar seta is too long for Tachininae, its rather Exoristinae.

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I agree

It would have been nice to mention that it is from Australia, so no need to guess a genus.


Theo

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Just out of interest :) does a short pre-alar always suggest Tachininae? I had noticed the couplet in the key (obviously) but hadn't linked it to a particular subfamily.

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Eryciini/Goniini?

I have the book by Crosskey, I don't see enough details to run this one through the Eryciini genus key.

Looks superficially quite much like the European Brachicheta strigata! But for the Goniini, there are no fitting suggestions in the book. Probably a lot has happened in cataloging the Australian fauna since 1973!

Interesting exercise anyways..

Tachinids quite often are attracted to sweat!

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Hi,
you are right Chris, I should say prealar is too long for Siphonini. As for me, it resembles a little Bactromyia aurulenta in Europe, but it has too wide vertex, too wide parafacial, too long second arista section, too yellow tibiae and probably something else what is not possible to see in this image :)