---

Thank you for your kind remarks Joanna. I think you are right, and it is probably Botanophila fugax. A male of this species is easy to ID under the microscope. The much stronger presutural acrostichals setae, followed by very short and fine hairs for the remaining acr setae; and the slightly shining abdominal tergites with a strong median vitta are good characters.

I was dubious about this photo as the abdomen viewed laterally appears only slightly compressed, and the parafacials are rather shining silvery. I compared the photo with many males of Botanophila fugax in my collection and the abdomens are mostly rather flattened in basal half. This is no doubt explained by shrinkage in the drying.

The inner margins of the processes of the fifth sternite are very characteristic in fugax, where they are shining. One can't see this in the photo unless it is shot from a certain angle. I notice that the 5th tergite of the abdomen has long hindmarginal setae directed posteriorly. This shows in the photo. All the characters mentioned by Joanna are also correct.

As said many times before, identifying Anthomyiidae from a live photo is fraught with difficulty, and the final criterion for males is always to dissect the genitalia which are nearly always diagonostic. So if you want an accurate ID please collect a specimen as Joanna keeps saying! I am delighted that my highly regarded student Joanna has pointed her finger at the correct ID of this species