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Hi Sarah,

To be honest: no, I can't.
Modern textbooks will separate the two families on the relative position of the praesutural and posthumeral bristle on the thorax. this feature is, however, highly artificial. That the matter is delicate, is also illustrated by the fact that only quite recently the genus Eurychaeta = Helicobosca has been transferred from Sarcophagidae to Calliphoridae.

However, I can tell you some rule of thumbs:
metallic green or blue flies are never Sarcs, but always Callis (or, one of the few Tachinidae!).
Species with a grey-and-black checkered abdomen and trafficlight-red eyes (not dark red) are bound to be Sarcs (exception: Eurychaeta, see above, with yellow instead of dark palps).
Species with in the wing venation a long appendix or fold to the main bend (in vein R 4+5) are likely to be Sarcs.
On the other hand, species with the eyes nearly touching are bound to be male Calliphoridae.
Species with conspicuous red genitalia are Sarcophagidae - Sarcophaginae (both male and female).0


To make the situation even more complicated, both families are very diverse themselves.
The Sarcophagidae fall into twe groups: Sarcophaginae (your second) and Miltogramminae (your first). (If Jan Velterop is reading this: I'm trying to stick to the main talk and skip some details here and there !).
Miltogramminae has only 1 anterodorsal bristle on the tibia 2 and the
antennal arista bare (in most cases).
Sarcophaginae has more than 1 ad. bristle on tibia 2 and the antennal arista plumose.

Enough for now, I hope, I skip the Calliphoridae for the moment.


Theo