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Hello,

Still in Savoy, 2007/7/17, about 8 mm, a couple of Tephritidae.

First the male:

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Then the female.

Just another question: is the grey pattern a criterion for this species?

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Another picture of the female.

Is it about to oviposit an egg?

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Hello,

Could it be Chaetostomella cylindrica?

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Hi Pierre,

Two pair of dorsocentral bristles = Chaetorellia sp.

Ben

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Ben,

Thanks for the indication.

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Indeed Ben, it's Chaetorellia.
According to the length of the oviscapus it should be C. acrolophi.
But given the extension of the aculeus, I'ld say she was ovipositing on this plant, in that case it can hardly be a Chaetorellia, for they only live on Centaurea....

John

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John,

I had Centaurea not very far away, but I didn't move the specimen.

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This post is very old, but since there was no clear conclusion, I'll up it.
And I'll also add that this was at 1750m asl.
In the book by Bernhard Menz, C. acrolophi is given at 650-100m, C. jaceae at 250-500m and C. loricata at 500-2100m in Switzerland. Since the photos were taken in Savoy, in the French Alps, I think this could be a criterion.

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Sorry John, you must win the next time, not today.

This is Orellia falcata Scopoli. Note that the shining black spot is on the suture, NOT in front of it, and has no seta growing from it.

The fly is common throughout all western Palaearctics, from France to W Siberia and W China in association with many species of Tragopogon. Larvae bore stems (though female oviposits into flower head).