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I believe this fly is a Tephritid. Which one?
Thank you

location: Barcelos, Portugal
date: 2007/08/30

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Euleia heraclei of summer?? or something similar.


it is Tephritidae, by sure!

John Smit will say more!

espero que tenhas apanhado uma destas para mim.

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Thank you Jorge

Est? algures no meu quarto, ? solta!

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I know you will do what I ask! Lucky you!! Indoors!!
Do you have a tree indoors? lol

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I forgot to say! this is a female. We can see the oviscape.

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The fly escaped from me when I was trying to photograph it, but I already caught it.
The fly is dying but I can send it to you (if it arrives dead will it serve your purpose?).

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yep. Thank you. I have the winter species. It would be nice to compare both!

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Hi Jorge,

Apart from the colouration of the body and of the wingpattern, there is no difference between both forms. And you can actually also find the dark form in summer.

John

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I'm not understanding very well. There is a winter form and a summer form, of the same species or different species? And how to differentiate both forms?

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Hi Rui,

It's quite simple, there is one species (Euleia heraclei) that is normally black of bodycolour, and a quite dark wingpattern. But in summer you'll often find the same species but looking like this photo above. It's the same species, but one specimen can be yellow-brown, while the other can be black.
It's the same you have with several bumblebee mimics within the syrphids, Merodon equestris for instance has something like seven different colourpatters among the bodyhairs, same species only looking different, e.g. colourforms.

John

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Thank you for the explanation, John.