General discussion

Not a fly I know, l so forgive me, but does anyone know, please, either how to identify stylopids, or if anyone has a special interest in them who might like specimens?  At least they have only two wings, if the wrong pair! I have caught a couple of males of these remarkable and enigmatic insects in the last month, in a Malaise trap set on the edge of a pond.  They are tiny - 1mm body length.  Is this typical?  Photos attached.  I'd be grateful for any info.

I am puzzled by the marked similarities between Thaumatomyia notata and Chlorops hypostigma.  Is it certan that these are separate species?

Is this a good year for Stomorhina lunata?  Its larvae develop in the egg pods of locusts, so its occurrence in Britain is likely to be due to adults migrating here from further south.  In most years, I see one or none but this year I have seen it in three locations, all in Surrey:-

1 female, Brookwood Heath, SU956555 on 23/08/2020

1 female, in my Knaphill garden, SU964588, on golden rod flowers, 03/09/2020

20 plus, both sexes, Brick Hill, Chobham Common, SU963645, on 06/09/2020

I'm confused by the very dark coloration of the abdominal tergites. Can anyone help, please?

I have an almost all yellow Muscid - only all tarsi dark or black.  My first thought was Thricops, but now I'm not so sure; female Thricops seem to have the frons dark.  So is this a Phaonia?  Help please.

This is a bit of a long shot, but does anyone remember recording the stiletto fly Thereva cinifera during the DF field week in Cornwall in 2011? There is a record from that field week shown on the NBN Atlas, but with no recorder name, and Darwyn Sumner and I have been unable to find any further details. This would be the only record of this species in south-west England so it needs confirming. Please let me know if it is your record!

Does anyone have a spare copy of Collin's 1948 paper, 'A SHORT SYNOPSIS OF THE BRITISH SAPROMYZIDAE (DIPTERA)' ?  I'd welcome a sight of it.

Thanks.

AFB

Can anyone help me with this Lauxaniid, which keys out I think in Laurence Clemons' key as Sapromyza albiceps but confirmation would be helpful.  It has a strong lateral intra-alar, no black spots but brownish areas on the outer abdominal segments, arista pubescent, no thoracic stripes, little or no darkening on 3rd antennal segment, palps or wings, and frons not whitened.  A lovely little fly but delicate when dry and fell apart too easily, so no further examination possible

What do we know about the Chloropids?   I have a specimen of Elachiptera but no sure means of getting further. Thorax and abdomen black, thorax marked with punctures, no visible spines on the scutellum, head and legs yellow except for black or darkened femora.  There seem to be 8 British species.  Two photos attached.  I'd be glad for some guidance.