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Hi,

I'm knocking my head against a brick wall with this. :S

Taken on 28th July on my pond, near Lincoln UK. It appeared very pale, more so than the photos show.

Using the keys assuming it has a silver stripe on the thorax side, and an entirely yellow scutellum, it takes me to something which isn't in th UK, Conops silaceus although there's more black on the frons on this.

Assuming there is no silver stripe takes me directly to two options that are in the UK, Conops vesicularis and Conops flavipes both of which are here but neither fit!

Taking the option in the second couplet with scutellum black or black with yellow on basis would take me to Conops quadrifasciatus which I have, but it isn't typical. I guess this is just an unusual C. quadrifasciatus?

Janet

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pic 2

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pic 3

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crop

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How about Leopoldius??
Greetings

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Thank you Gerard! That explains why I had problems! :D

We have Leopoldius signatus and brevirostris. I can't see the snout, so it depends on the incisions on the yellow bands.

I'm not sure if T3&4 have one incision, if so they are small. That would make it Leopoldius signatus.

If T3&4 have no incisions on the yellow bands it would be Leopoldius brevirostris. I am assuming it's a male.

I think L. signatus?

http://www.david....dflies.htm

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I found a thread from last year where Mark van Veen has said L. brevirostris has a black tongue (why did I not see the missing proboscis! ;)). I can see the tongue, it looks pale brown so it's looking more in favour of L. signatus, unless what I'm looking at is something else!

http://www.dipter...ost_150538

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This appears to be Leopoldius signatus. The extent of yellow markings on the abdomen is variable and not a good guide. I can't see any facial markings,although the stripes shown by Smith are not always present. There appears to be a developmental fault in the head so it is difficult to see the facial detail. L signatus is the commoner of the two, but usually flies later in the year. I can't be absolutely sure on this one.

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Thank you David. I checked back on older threads and found that L. brevirostris is associated with old woodlands which I am surrounded by. I am turning up all sorts of rare and interesting insects here.

http://www.dipter...post_41761

How early can L. signatus be found, and what is the flying time of L. brevirostris?

I lightened the shot showing more of the face, it does appear to have something strange on it, almost like a horseshoe shape hanging from the antennae base!

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I have records of signatus for June, but the great majority are from about mid August to end September. I think the ptilinal suture has not closed properly and there is some distortion of the face and lower frons. I can't see any stripes on the face in this new image either, but they are not definitive anyway - they don't seem to occur in continental material, and I have seen British material of males without facial stripes. The slightly bulbous tergite outline is also suggestive of brevirostris, which as you say, tends to be a semi-natural woodland associate. Your record is within the UK distribution for brevirostris, so this is probably the best guess. Although the number of records of this species has increased in recent years, it is still a very scarce species in Britain.

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Thank you David, I will be hoping to see it again next year. I tried to get a better shot of the face but it flew off. I get a few other Conopidae in my garden, some are regulars and others I have seen less often or only once.