I've got a related question as I'm a zoology graduate quite new to Diptera and so I'm not sure where to start.

I recently caught a Phyto discrepans which had emerged seemingly out of no where from one of my tarantula enclosures (I'm a spider guy), a woodlouse must have found it's way in. This inspired new interest in flies but I have no idea whether Rhinophoridae fits into one of the recording schemes, and if so where? Any general advice on getting started appreciated.

Hi TJ.  If you have not done so already, join the Dipterists Forum.  Only £20 a year.  Best way to get into flies.  In answer to your specific question about Rhinophoridae I don't think there is a specific recording scheme (but my knowledge may be out of date).  They key out alongside Calliphorids, which do have a recording scheme, easily accessed via the Facebook Group page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2329537373958831/

Thanks Colin! Already a member ^_^

Neither Muscidae nor Rhinophoridae currently have a recording scheme, but records for these families can be added to iRecord, and will be made available to a scheme if one gets established in future. In the meantime, records of Diptera not covered by a scheme are being shared from iRecord to the NBN Atlas - these records will mostly be unverified in the absence of a recording scheme, but the data can be seen and used, bearing in mind that there are likely to be some erroneous records included.

Typo error in my heading - it should have read Sphaeroceridae, aas it does in my text.
A

Many thanks to Howard Bentley (former chair of Dipterists Forum) who replied to me via email to suggest genus Hydrotaea and give me some pointers. With his help I've returned to the keys, and it seems to key cleanly to Hydrotaea militaris. There is a lovely mirror-like shiny patch on the upper parafacial that I couldn't get to show up on the photos.

Not a species I've ever seen in my part of inland Britain, and as you may already know the few records available on NBN Atlas and on iRecord are all coastal. However, we should ask Martin Drake to check the scheme records (the Dolichopodidae recording scheme data is not yet available via NBN Atlas).

It's an Aphrosylus alright - the massive hooked proboscis ('beak') is a give-away.  The raptor/celtiber pair are easily muddled in females, which your is, but it's one of this pair (not the tiny ferox or mitis). I gave a new key to both sexes in E&D Newsletter No 22, 7-8 (2017) (all newsletters are now downloadable from this site).  It's extremely unlikely to be in Herefordshire - all the record in the E&D scheme for all Aphrosylus (except one of my own for mitis that I don't believe!) are coastal.  Ray Poulding showed that celtiber feed on barnacles (Poulding, R.H. 1998. The larvae of Aphrosylus celtiber Haliday (Diptera, Dolichopodidae) as predators of the littoral barnacle Chthamalus montagui Southward (Cirripedia, Chthamalidae). Dipterists Digest (Second Series) 5, 70 - 74) and it is most probably that raptor has the same biology.  Aphrosylus raptor is less widespread than celtiber (except for four scattered Scottish records and one in Kent that may be errors); it is found from Dorset to Anglesey, whereas celtiber is all round the British coast (no records for East Anglia).  This probably doesn't help you, but that's what I know about these beasts.

Apologies again for not getting the recording shceme data to the NBN, but just checking for this querie I found yet another grid-ref error (Adrian's - I cannot edit it) putting an Aphrosyus well inland. The database is full of such errors.

Apologies Steve, a vital tick box in your membership details had been left unticked. Should be fixed now.

Yes, looks like a Polyporivora ornata female

Many Thanks Tony. Certainly an eye-catching fly.

Looks a bit like Lypha dubia to me ... check for small, paired flaps on the hind spiracle PLUS a large pteropleural bristle reaching back almost to the posterior edge of the calyptrae :)

Thanks Chris - you are right, it has both those features.   Good to know what it is.  Rob

Hi Cathy. First thing to note is how bristly the legs are - this suggests it may not be an acalypterate. Looking at the top of the thorax - there is a well-marked suture running across in front of the wing bases, so this indicates it is a calypterate fly (includes muscids, tachinids, etc.). Hopefully you will now be able to key this to Scathophagidae and use Stuart Ball's excellent key to get it to species.

You can find Stuart's key here: http://scathophagidae.myspecies.info/content/identification

Thank you - this is clearly a case where my notebook did not keep pace with my pooter.  We were living in Devon at the time, and no doubt my record stems from work on the south Devon or Cornish coast.

That's brilliant! Thanks so much Tony; I really appreciate it. I'll have a go now...

I had a go at keying this out with Stuart's key and I've ended up at Scatophaga furcata.

Recorded on a footpath near Leeds, W. Yorks.

What do you think?

Many thanks,

Cathy B

Looks good to me.

Hi Colin

I'm not certain, but I think the old website has now been closed. Information about references to families is available on this site. Go to Resources/DF Membership Area/Keys - description of families. You will find the references listed under "Identification" at the foot of each family account. But you will have to manually scroll to the list of references to see what they are - perhaps hyperlinking is not top priority at the moment.