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I have only recently begun to take an interest in diptera and and am now at a stage, with specimens in front of me, to identify flies (certainly the commoner ones) to familiy level, which is good, but I now want to take it further, if possible. For instance, I have a calliphoridae I collected in the garden - even to my untrained eye, with its metallic green body and general 'jizz' I could identify it as calliphoridae, and even probably as a Lucilia sp. I have confirmed what my eye was telling me, with on-line keys, to calliphoridae. Where do I go from here if I want to narrow it down further and identify it as say, Lucilia caesar, for example? Are there keys available to the various families? I know I am entering a potential minefield here and not just for the probability of my wife nagging me because I'm spending too much time with my eyes glued to the microscope! :D

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And now she'll also be nagging you about the money you might end up spending on keys to species in various families! For Calliphoridae there is a useful, although not entirely comprehensive, key to UK Calliphoridae:
http://www.amazon...0855463031 . Fortunately this one is not too expensive.

If you want to start on other UK families I would thoroughly recommend joining the Dipterists Forum. For a paltry £6 you get a handbook, access to manuscript keys to some families, workshops to families - usually held near Shrewsbury and a twice yearly newsletter. Also, there is a brilliant newtwork of Dipterists you can meet at field events and workshops AGM etc. http://www.dipter...c.php?id=3

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Calliphoridae: Rognes' key to Fenno-scandian Calliphoridae seems to be available (complete book?)online at http://books.goog...mp;f=false
IGNORE THIS - about 80 pages are missing from this preview :S

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There is a rough cut/paste key by Steve Falk floating around somewhere ... not sure whether I PDF'd it or not (I can email it if I have got a copy). The same goes for Rhinophoridae & Sarcophagidae ... but they are all a bit old and new species may have been added to the British list since then. But, saying that, I use them here :)

You have to really pick a family and then ask whether there are keys for them ... each family is different. Some groups are only really accessible by buying quite expensive keys but the trick is to go for a group (like Tachinidae) where there are free keys available ;)

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Thanks for your suggestions, Nigel. I have ordered the blowflies book from Amazon tonight! :) Also, I am a member of the Dipterists Forum (I am just about to renew my membership for another year! :)

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Hi Chris - I must say you are doing a sterling job as Chief Membership Organiser for the Tachinid Study Club! :D

Anything you have in the way of keys I would appreciate a copy of if you could be so kind ... :)

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Like anything, membership is the starting point - you really need to start networking - going on field meetings and meeting up with people and swapping info. Come to a few BENHS workshops at Dinton Pastures, even if they are in groups that you're not instantly interested in, because you'll get to meet a lot of really friendly and useful people :) Ian McClean recently told me that we're doing another tachinid workshop next Spring ... so that would be a good one to bring some specimens along to ;)

Basically when you're starting out catch lots of specimens, pin them up, and then when you start working on them you'll have material to test the keys and you'll work out what you are interested in and what's too difficult to work on :)

Oh ... and you have mail ;)