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hello flyforum,

First I though this was Polietes lardaria, but I am not convinced.
What about the colour of the anterior spiracle?
Is it posible that this is some other Polietes species?

Robert,

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2 pic

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I'd say you are right, Robert - correct name Polietes lardarius

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hair on the eyes, anterior spiracle is greyish (not colourful)..

What makes this Polietes lardarius specificly? :)

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Compare with:
http://www.diptera.info/photogallery.php?photo_id=1274
Also P.meridionalis is Submediterrenian species less probable in the Netherlands
Nikita

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I do not agree with that, Nikita. I'd say P. meridionalis is pretty common in the Netherlands, at least where I live (in the center of the country).
Since you identified my first meridionalis (photos are now in the gallery), I have found and photographed many more at the same location and at other locations. Mostly in half open areas with older trees, water and grassland nearby.
I have the impression that meridionalis is more common here than lardarius.

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Maybe P. meridionalis can be pretty common here and there?!...
I think flyspecies can differ a lot in occurence, so are the biotopes.

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Is P. meridionalis on the British list yet? I caught a Polietes last week (North Wales) that keyed to lardarius (hairs on the little plate between the front legs, prosternum?) in Fonseca's RES key, but had a brown face and bright yellow front spiracle, which according to Gregor et al. makes it meridionalis.

So I looked out a "lardarius" from this area two years ago, and it also has a brown face and yellow spiracle.

Both are females so the leg spine character is no use. And both were taken late in the year (Nov and Dec) so I was wondering if lardarius tend to be browner at this time of year. But if meridionalis is common in The Netherlands, Wales does not sound so unlikely.

John Bratton