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Hello,

I have noticed some activity in the Phoridae-section, so here are two pictures I made near Heerlen.
The first one is from 18-03, in a forest, the size was about 5 mm.
The prince and princess of darkness (2-3 mm per piece) I saw in a moor two weeks ago.
When they are eating or mating one has the possibility to take a picture, the rest of the time they seem to run around.

Ben

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The first one is Megaselia diversa - a widespread West Palaearctic species; second one Gymnophora sp. in copula.

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Thanks a lot Mario,

Ben

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You're welcome! It's a pleasure for me!

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Mario, specially with these phorids I think some may be interested to knwo what features you used for identification.

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Examined pictures:

1. Megaselia diversa - black; halteres yellow; enlarged labella & fore tarsal segments; hypopygium

2. Gymnophora sp. - very characteristic genus - without bristles on frons

3. Megaselia berndseni - short costa; yellow halteres & the shape of male hypopygyum

4. [i][i][i][i]Spiniphora maculata[/i][/i][/i] [/i]- shape of hypopygium; chaetotaxy on the legs & characteristic dark smudge around origin of the first thin vein of the wing