And I can see it Michael.  Another superb image.  Many thanks for all your efforts.

Looks OK - worth checking the abdomen where tergite 5 would be to see if there is a chitinized plate, or just hairs on the abdominal membrane.

Thanks Howard.  Here's another more dorsal view of the epandrium.  Not very clear but under the scope I can see a bunch of hairs towards the apex of the epandrium on each side.  Michael's actual choice is of "Epandrium with setulae on lateral parts" or "Epandrium bare on lateral parts".  I think I interpreted "lateral parts" as "lateral margin".  E. minuta seems to be more likely from this viewpoint.  I don't think I am able to see or dissect out the pregonite.

Thanks for the reply, Tony. I have had another look at where tergite 5 should be but have to admit I am not sure what I am looking at here. Attached a pic in the hopes you can advise further.

Also, may I just check this is a female (sorry if this sounds a silly question but still on a very sharp learning curve).

That looks right Colin. I can't be absolutely certain, but it looks like E. minuta to me.

Thanks again Howard.

Yes, it is a female, and from your last photo it looks like tergite 5 is represented just by hairs on the membrane (with the proviso that photos are notorious for being misinterpreted!)

Thanks for your help, Tony. I accept your proviso. That said, it keyed out to A. urbana.

Hi Darren. Bishop's Stortford is a bit of a blank area for Ochthera. O. manicata has been found at Wicken Fen to  the north, and there is a record of O. mantis in South Essex (TQ57), as well as several sites in Surrey to the south. O. manicata tends to be found in fens, while O. mantis is associated with neutral or acidic conditions.

John and Barbara Ismay have produced a key to males, but looking at it, it seems to rely on characters which are not readily visible in your photo. 

I don't know how I managed it, but I have uploaded a small version of the original file. However it does not operate as a clickable thumbnail to open the larger file.

As yet there isn't a search facility, but it is on the wishlist for future development.

Thanks Tony, looks like I will need to try and get a specimen then.

Is that key available online? I have tried to contact John and Barbara a couple of times via the Chloropid Study Group page (https://www.dipterists.org.uk/chloropid-group/home) but got no response. I'm not sure whether everything is properly set up yet.

hi all. where do i find the anthomyidae key ?

Keys to the Anthomyiidae are available in the members' area of this website. They can be accessed via the "Resources" tab if you are a member of the Dipterists Forum. Go the the "DF Membership Area".

it says im not authorized to that area, and i cannot post new comment on any forum aswell  ???  i am logged in as member, and payed for a year, yesterday.

Hi Phil, the furca should be within the tip of the abdomen.

If you download the recording scheme ID guide to Sargus and look for female of S. cuprarius on page 9, there is an image of a dissected furca provided by Richard Dickson. Download from www.brc.ac.uk/soldierflies-and-allies/id-guides

The only definition I can find for  "furca" is "In most Nematocera and Orthorrhapha, the sternite 9 is reduced to a V-shaped or Y-shaped sclerite and is called genital fork or vaginal apodeme or furca" (which is taken from www.giand.it/diptera/morph/). I don't know what its function is, would be interested to know if anyone can tell us.

Hi Svavar, I can't see anything in your account settings that would prevent you accessing the membership area. Are you still unable to access it?

I am reliably informed that-

“ ….. you need to macerate and mount moth flies to examine their diagnostic features.”