I hope this is the correct place to post to request an ID - I am very new to Dipterists' Forum. I found a very distinctive small black fly today - red eyes and halters, wing venation reminding me of Lauxiniidae - and have posted it for ID on one of the Facebook groups. It has been suggested that it is most likely to be one of the Platypezidae, the fly's distinctive appearance seeming to suggest Callomyia elegans as a possibility. Looking at the NBN atlas, however, there is only one record of that species here in the UK, the fly being on the Red List. Is it possible that it is, indeed, Callomyia elegans, or is there another similar looking Platypezid?
Location West Oxfordshire
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Certainly a Callomyia male -…
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Thanks for replying, Tony. …
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Thanks for replying, Tony. Yes, it is amoena - Donald Smith passed one of the images on to Peter Chandler and he said it is probably amoena. I managed to capture him a couple of days later and take a series of much closer photos (although photographing him in the fridge was not ideal!) and yes, these photos clearly show grey markings on the fore edges of the abdominal tergites, not the hind edges. Amoena he is, but still a lovely fly nonetheless.
Certainly a Callomyia male - either amoena or elegans. I find it difficult to see the characters that distinguish these two in the photos. I suspect it is amoena, but it would be good to hear other opinions!