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This fly from Box Hill, Surrey (chalk downland) last week - all help much appreciated

Thanks
Tristan

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Looks very interesting (it is very grey) - did you get a specimen? :)

My guess is Demoticus plebejus - a real rarity :)

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Thanks Chris - an interesting species, obviously not well-known. I saw quite a number on umbel heads. No specimen but here is another photo, not sure if it shows any additional characters

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Well, I have seen a handful of Demoticus in my life and I don't have one handy to look at right now, so let's wait for Theo to "OK" it :) The photos would look good in the gallery though, when we get a confirmed ID :)

If you look at the photos on my website (here) then you'll see that at least the pattern of bristles and dusting on the thorax looks very similar and the overall appearance is good too. That grey dusting with black bristle bases is quite striking.

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It is somewhere in Demoticus / Bithia.
I can't see the arista quite good, but it seems to me that Demoticus is quite likely. And I don't think you have many Bithia in UK, do you ?

Theo

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A vote for Demoticus from here as well.

Jaakko

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We have Bithia spreta and demotica in the UK :) We still list modesta but we suspect that this species was added to the British list in error because all British specimens at the NHM have been reexamined and reclassified as demotica :)

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Thanks for all your comments - here is a more detailed image showing the arista

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Thanks
100 % Demoticus


Theo

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Great work Tristan :D ... and a very nice record too - can you PM me the full details: date, location, grid reference etc?

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Thanks to you all - Chris, I have messaged you the details and will also upload images for the gallery

All the best
Tristan