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Hi everybody,

These little flies I found on the flowers and foilage of Oenothera biennis, in fairly great numbers. Are these Loncheidae sp?

Thanks!

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yes, they seem to be Lonchaeidae, but not sure.

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Ciamar a tha thu Iolaire - you seem to have a good Gaelic name for a Dutchman. The flies in the picture certainly look like Lonchaeidae with the characteristic blue black reflections on the body, wide thorax and large eyes. Otherwise there is not enough detail in the photograph to say any more .. le Durachd ... Iain

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Iain,
I have been collecting British Lonchaeidae on and of for a couple of years, as I understand that a key to British species is in prep. Do you have any news on progress with the key and likely publication, and in advance are there any hints for preparation of specimens? I always pull the legs down and try to hook out male genitalia, but there may be other hints.

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Ciamar a tha thu Iain.
Iolaire is taken from the Gaelic word for sea-eagle (Iolaire-suile-na-grein). It is not my actual name. I find the bird magnificent and in Gaelic it sounds even more magnificent! And although I've never been there, Scotland is dear to me. I even named my daughter after two of it's islands (Skye Iona) and I'm trying to teach myself a little Gaelic.

But anyway,... tapadh leat, soraidh. Le durachd, Iolaire

(Correct me if I just wrote something completely idiotic in Gaelic)