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For the first time in more than 10 years I've keyed a fly specimen out from scratch. Took me about an hour. After a few setbacks including getting the sex wrong initially and breaking 2 legs off when setting it, I finally got to female Gymnosoma rotundatum. Turns out it's the most widely distributed of the Gymnosoma in France, so the most likely result. Nonetheless, I'm quite pleased with myself. At one point I thought I was going to have to give up at Gymnosoma sp brackets not nitens. My photos aren't very good, so give the impression the frons is entirely black, but in fact it is mostly a reddish brown.

So -- anyone want to burst my bubble? :-)

Central lowland France.