David Element's Wildlife Web Page Flies 12

David Element

Wildlife Photography

and Digital Video Images

_________________ Flies 12 - Miscellaneous Flies

CRANE-FLY Ctenophora atrata

HEATH BEE-FLY Bombylius minor

SPLAYED DEERFLY Chrysops caecutiens

BAND-EYED BROWN HORSEFLY Tabanus bromius

NOON-FLY Mesembrina meridionalis

COASTAL SILVER-STILETTO Acrosanthe annulata

LITTLE SNIPEFLY Chrysopilus asiliformis

YELLOW DUNG-FLY Scathophaga stercoraria

Just under 7,000 fly species have been recorded in the UK, representing almost a third of the British insect fauna. It is therefore impossible to include anything beyond a token selection of illustrations on these web pages. A small proportion of flies may be identified to species level from photographs (provided that the significant parts of the anatomy are visible) but many cannot. A great deal of time and expertise would be required to identify most of these insects properly using entomological keys - this territory belongs to committed experts! Fortunately for those of us not belonging to this category there are a number of first rate dipterists in the UK and certain groups of flies are very well covered in the literature including the wonderful reference work recommended below. The eyes of horseflies are strikingly marked (the number of stripes or the colour pattern may help to characterise a species) and users are encouraged to view the close-up of the compound eye under even greater magnification by using their zoom controls.

RECOMMENDED REFERENCES:

'BRITISH SOLDIERFLIES AND THEIR ALLIES', ALAN STUBBS & MARTIN DRAKE, BENHS, 2001, ISBN 1-899935-04-5

Links to 'ARKive' species accounts:

The Heath Bee-fly is a significant rarity with a very limited distribution in southern Britain. For further information about this species Heath Bee-fly use the following link: http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/invertebrates_terrestrial_and_freshwater/Bombylius_minor/