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I think this is a muscid, but got nowhere trying to key it using Fonseca 1968. Any suggestions, please? It was caught 9 May 2012 on foredunes at Newborough Warren, Anglesey, N. Wales. Three more pictures to follow.

John Bratton

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Double row of spinules along fore edge of wing.

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Head

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Front tarsi

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John, I see practically nothing on these photos, but just one idea to start : could you check for Macrorchis meditata ?

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Thanks, I'll try that.

Do you mean the photos are lousy or I haven't photographed the right parts? I can't get sharp pictures showing all the setae, as I'm just holding the camera at the microscope eyepiece, and depth of field is poor. I was hoping it had enough jizz.

Thanks for your suggestion,

John

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The photo are very dark and the legs chaetotaxy is difficult to see. It is true the front tarsus is rarely important in Muscidae, unless you suspected a Lispocephala in the alma-group or something else. The orbital are not visible (maybe they are broken ?) If only one pair, it should be M. meditata, but the ball is in your court to tell us...

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I had another go with Fonseca's key. It has four sternopleurals, so rules out M. meditata. And three post-sutural dorsocentrals, so rules out the one coenosid that has four sternopleurals. I eventually got it to Helina protuberans, and the genitalia fit the figure in Gregor et al. Does it look OK for that species, please?

I fully accept you can't see the sternopleurals in my pictures.

John

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Very possible. The frons is broad then ? I don't personally know that species.

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Yes, the frons fits OK.

John