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It sometimes is indeed very confusing with criniventris.
We have several Delia species with those long hairs on the tergites/sternites (penicilliventris, penicillosa, penicillaris, piliventris and criniventris)
The D. penicillaris descriped in the key from Ackland is in fact the description of D. penicilliventris. (D. penicillaris is only known from Italy, Greek mainland and Switzerland)

- With the tibia partly yellowish = criniventris
- Legs all dark and sternite III widened on posterior margin = penicillosa
- Legs all dark and sternite III not widened on posterior margin = penicilliventris
- Legs all dark and sternite III covered with dense setulae on whole disc = piliventris
D. penicillaris is very similar to D penicilliventris, but can’t give you right now the precise differents between those two species, only it is very unlikely this species occur in the UK.

The tuft of hairs on the surstyli are indeed present, but sometimes they are not visible in front and sometimes they are (in your case..)

I also send you some genital photos of my D. criniventris, …… I hope they will be shown, if not, ..I have to reduse them all in size and this probably will take a while.

Johanna