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I can't get this one to a family. Any suggestions will be appreciated. It is from brackish marsh behind a shingle ridge on the north Wales coast, October 2007.

Thanks
John Bratton

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Dorsal view

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Head - couldn't get it in focus.

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Wing veins

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Tachinid

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Siphona, isn't it - or have I missed something?

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Indeed, Siphona :)

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Siphona geniculata may be a candidate.

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I couldn't see that vertical row of bristles near the rear spiracle. Forgotten the name. Meral? Anyway, I'll have another look and see where I get to with the Siphona key.

Thanks,
John

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Hypopleurals or meral bristles, yes :) On a Siphona they will be pretty small but if you can locate the hind spiracle, just in front of the haltere then you should see the merals. You should also then note the well-rounded subscutellum that signifies a tachinid :)

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Using the Siphona key in Anderson 1996 Fauna Ent. Scand., it sails past geniculata and keys out to urbana. But I see the 1998 British checklist retains the name geniculata for Anderson's urbana. I've got better photographs of the head. Do these confirm that it is geniculata sensu British list, please?

For the record, it is from saltmarsh at Bodfan, SH435556, VC 49, 13 October 2007.

(Still can't see the meral bristles.)

John Bratton

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Palps

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You are correct - the ICZN preserved the traditional usage of geniculata and cristata after Andersen tried to revise them to urbana and geniculata. Siphona geniculata is by far the commonest Siphona in the UK so I would have little doubt that this is what you have. But with Siphona there is always room for some doubt, even with specimens sometimes :)