Hi Andrew. I have just seen your message. I will get in touch, but without the male genitalia I can only make an informed guess.
John Kramer
There is a short note about Billups in Michael Derby's Biographical dictionary on the Coleopterist website.
https://www.coleoptera.org.uk/biographical-dictionary?title=Billups&title_1=&body_value=
Hi Chris, I can't find any information about the current status of T. separata in the UK, nor how it can be distinguished from T. divisa (I don't have Smit's key). So I'm no help to you, but I'd suggest contacting Laurence Clemons for further information, see the recording scheme page. Would be interested to know what he says if you do hear from him!
Lepiseodina (ex Telmatoscopus) tristis (Meigen, 1830) is recorded as British in the NBN Atlas under Lepiseodina (Meigen, 1830). I'm not sure why the species name isn't given (other than as a synonym). Perhaps an error, or there may be some doubt as to its identity. Telmatoscopus tristis appears in the drop-down list of iRecord species under Telmatoscopus. (Enter "Telmatoscopus", then scroll to end and click on "more available". If you are going to publish a list of species from your Suffolk site, it should be possible to upload a batch of records - talk to Suffolk BRC about how they may help. Agreeing a fixed format for a spreadsheet can make things easier in the long run.
I don't have a copy of Mark Mitchell's key, but there is a key available as part of Mike's Insect Keys. I haven't used that one myself but it has some illustrations.
Have a look at Milichiidae. I looks rather like Madiza glabra, though the thickened front tibiae are perhaps a bit too extreme.
Thanks Martin. I've been using the key by Mike Hackston. It's worked well before on at least one other Calliopum, but I'm not convinced with this specimen.
Thanks to those who have helped out with this, including those that contacted me directly.
I've now taken another look at the specimen and am still unable to confidently identify it. I'm now confident that it is a female, but it has a sabre-like ventral projection to the terminalia. Significantly, it has completely black antennae, femora (aside from some yellowing at the knees) and tibiae. It also has 6 rows of acrostichals - whilst I gather this is not fool-proof, I've compared the specimen with another Calliopum collected from the same site that I identified as elisae and the terminalia are distinctly different.
Next awkward request: does anyone have a copy of Semelbauer, M., Dvořáková, K. & Kočišek, J. Comparative morphology of female terminalia of Calliopum Strand, 1928, Lauxania Latreille, 1804 (Diptera, Lauxaniidae) and allies. Biologia 76, 3355–3369 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-021-00825-7? I wonder if this might shed some light.
Thanks for this Tony. I do not have any 'more available' on my login to iRecord. I think I will leave recording on iRecord for the moment. My intention is to write up in a British entomological publication once I have completed two years worth of Psychodidae identification.
Thanks for this Tony. I do not have any 'more available' on my login to iRecord. I think I will leave recording on iRecord for the moment. My intention is to write up in a British entomological publication once I have completed two years worth of Psychodidae identification.
I had hoped that someone would be able to supply info to my question. I know that quite a few members of the Dipt. Forum 'frequent' this specific location, just a heads up would be so helpful!
Have you tried this: https://diptera.info/downloads/Remm_Elberg_1979.pdf
text in russian, but many genitalia pics
Id query - I think this is Volucella inflata. Photo was taken in Northmead Copse, Poole, Dorset on 09 06 2025. Is anyone able to confirm? - many thanks. Nick Woods
Hi George, I would say that does count as a cleft! Agree that this can be a difficult feature to see. If you can post an image of the whole fly that would be good so we can check that it 'looks right' for a calypterate. Calypterates are usually more bristly than acalypterates, and the wing venation can help pick them out, but there are flies that can be difficult to put into one group or the other so you are absolutely correct to look for these more detailed features such as the antennal cleft, as described in the family key.