Crane flies (tipilidae),They
have a long and thin body and very long, thin legs. The family Tipulidae
includes three subfamilies:
Tipulidae, Cylindrotominae and Limoniinae. They live in the same way.
The adult crane flies don’t eat oreat only a little nectar. They live only
to mate and live not long.
The female has a pointed tip which she uses to push her eggs into the soil.
The larvae
feed on the roots of plants. They can bee a pestbecause the damage to lawns.
Crane fly (Ctenophora
pectinicornis).
Crane fly (Nephrotoma
flavipalpis) The wings are folded.
More information about gnats (Nematocera) you can find on Subpage
gnats
Flies:
Of some families I have many species. Those families, I've put on a subpage. Of each family is an example on this page. Below is a link to the subpage.
I also created a subpage with families, which consist mainly of small flies. Hover flies are on two separate pages.
Root-Maggot Fly spec.
Family Root-Maggot Flies (Anthomyiidae)
Greek: anthos = flower en myia = fly
Greenbottle, Lucilia spec Maybe (Lucilia
caesar)
Family Blow-fl
(Calliphoridae)
Other families of flies. They are arranged alphabetically.
I have used the scientific (Latin) name.
Roberflies (Asilidae). Robberflies(Asilidae)
are
flies, which catch other flies in the same way as dragonflies with
their forelegs. The
short, strong proboscis is used to stab and inject victims with saliva
containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes. The fly then sucks the
liquefied meal through the proboscis. All
robber flies have stout, spiny legs.
They aid in pray capture.
Larvae live in the soil and decaying wood. They also feed on other insects.
Common
Awl Robberfly (Neoitamus
cyanurus). Family Robber
flies(Asilidae).
This is most common species.
It often occurs in the neighbourhood of oaks. It is already bee found
early in spring.
May - September
Length: 20 - 25 mm
Photo left: female
Photo left bottom: male
Photos 8-6-2012, 5-6-2012.
with prey.
Dioctria hyalipennis.
Family Robber
flies(Asilidae).
A Small robberfly. forests and shrubs Characterization: The middle of and forefeet are red, a continuous silver line on the
side of the brisket.
Bee flies (Bombyliidae)
Bee Flies have pubescent (hairy) bodies like bumble bees.
Anthrax anthrax. Genus Anthrax.
Familiy Bee flies (Bombyliidae).
It's a black fly. The wings are black. Only the edges of the wings are partially transparent. On the black abdomen are white hairs.
The larvae live in nests of mason bees. At the entrance of the nest the female lays the eggs. The larvae eat the pollen and nectar supply. The eggs and larvae of the bees are
also eaten by the larvae of the Anthrax anthrax.
I don't see many flies. Yet a few times a year.
Length: 7 - 13 mm.
Photos 17-6-2012 en 2-7-2012.
Thick-headed flies, Conopid flies (Conopidae)
Thick-headed flies have long antennae, a long snout and a curved body.
Thick-headed flies because of the thick (inflated) head
Conopid flies deposit eggs on the abdomen especially of wasps, bees and bumblebees. This happens in flight. The larvae are
internal parasites or endoparasites. The larvae develops inside the abdomen.
The development is completed within 10 - 12 days, when the host is killed.
Conops
quadrifasciatus. Family Thick-headed flies,
Conopid flies(Conopidae).
There are some similar species. Conops
quadrifasciatus has orange, yellow legs.
Their larvae are endoparasites of bumble bees of the genus Bombus.
Length: 9 - 16 mm
German: Vierstreifige
Dickkopffliege
Photos: 16-08-2009. Photos couple: 16-08-2011.
The same day, not the same year.
Physocephala rufipes Family
Thick-headed flies,
Conopid flies(Conopidae)
Physocephala rufipes has a small, long second
segment. The other segments are broader and shorter.
Under the antennae is a black stripe.
Other species in the Nettherlands are:
Physocephala nigra (rare), Physocephala chrysorhhoea, Physocephala vittata.
The larvae are endoparasites of Sphecidae, bees,
bumble bees and social wasps.
Length: 9 - 13 mm.
Leopoldius maybe Leopoldius signatus.
Rare in the Netherlands!!Family
Thick-headed flies,
Conopid flies(Conopidae)
There are more species in the Netherlands. Namely L.
brevirostris, L. coronatus, L. valvatus. They are all very rare.
At the moment I took this picture, it was gloomy weather. After the photo the fly was disappeared. To be able to identify
this fly I needed a photo of the front.
Photo 20-9-2011.
Sicus ferrugineus Family Thick-headed flies,
Conopid flies(Conopidae)
A reddish brown Conopid fly.
The larvae are endoparasites of bumblebeesof the genus
Bombus.
May - September
Europe.
Photos 27-6-2010
German: Gemeine Breitstirnblasenkopfliege
Myopa buccata. Family Thick-headed flies,
Conopid flies(Conopidae).
The different species Myopa are very similar.
Of the Mytopa species in the spring only M. buccata and M. testacea
are to identify from photos. M. tesselatipennis is the commonest in the
Netherlands. (Thanks Han)
Striking is the large, white face (below the eyes).
On these photos they are sitting in a currant bush, which is often visited by the hosts of their larvae. (bees, wasps, bumblebees)
Photos 12-4-2012, 14-4-2012.
The different species Myopa are very similar. Striking is the large, white face (below the eyes).
Myopa buccata. Family Thick-headed flies,
Conopid flies(Conopidae).
A very variegated brown coloured black Myopa with a striking white head. The wings have a large spots pattern in which there is always a white spot on cross vein R-M. All the thighs with a black ring on the middle.
Length 6 - 11 mm. April - July.
Text taken from "Waarneming"
(translated). Han Endt thanks for identify.
Photos 12-4-2012, 14-4-2012.
Myopa testacea. Family Thick-headed flies,
Conopid flies(Conopidae).
A dark brown Myopa with just a clear spot in the wing cross vein RM. Sometimes there is to distinguish vague darkening in the top of the wing, but these are never clear spots. Thorax to the scutellum completely black. Because of the spot on the wing it is not to be confused with other
Myopas.
Length 6 - 11 mm. April - July.
Text taken from "Waarneming"
(translated). John Smit thanks for identify.
Photos 30-4-2013.
Long-legged flies (Dolichopodidae) Thefliesareslenderwith
longslenderlegs.The colourvaries,butthey
usually haveashinymetalliccolor.
The size of flies in this family is from 1 mm to 9 mm. The arista is upright on the end of the antenna.
Both the fly and larvae are mainly predators. (invertebrates, larvae)
Especially in a humid environment.
Dolichopus spec. Family long-legged flies (Dolichopodidae.
I don't know the species.
The fly is beautifully shiny metallic green. The eyes are shiny too. The legs are long and slender.
Photos 14-5-2011 en 24-4-2011
Sciapus. Family
long-legged flies (Dolichopodidae).
John Carr: A species of Sciapus, the only genus of Dolichopodidae in your area with forked M
vein.
Niels-Jan: Probably
it
will be
S.platypterus,
but a femaleis not possible from
aphotograph.Males havewhite
onthe middletarsi.
Photos 2-6-2011. Small,against the wall.
Dolichopus ungulatus. Family long-legged flies
(Dolichopodidae).
Gedetermineerd door Igor Grichanov. Determinedby IgorGrichanov. A largerspecies,whichIfound
on the
window framein the pantry.Metallicgreen
withlightlegs.
Chrysotus spec. Family long-legged flies (Dolichopodidae).
Very small shiny golden flies. The name of the species
is not possible. Photos 4-6-2012.
Sciapus platypterus. Family long-legged flies
(Dolichopodidae).
A slim fly easily recognizable by the white tarsi of the middle leg. In my garden it usually
walks on its long legs in the shade. Photos 12-6-2012.
Dance Flies, Balloon Flies, Dagger Flies or Empids
Dance flies are predatory flies. On the photo you can see the long snout. Dance fly, because the males dance for the females. They also offer the
females a prey. There are many small species.
I've photos of the genus Empis, Rhamphomyia en Hilara. Differences
are: The fork in the wing veins in the wing tip of Hilara
is long. This fork is short-triangular in Empis and lacks in Rhamphomyia.
Empis tesselata. Family Empididae.
You can see them also on flowers. Length 9 - 11 mm. May - August
Europe, North Africa, Asia. Photos 1-5-2009, 6-5-2009.
German: Gewürfelte Tanzfliege.
Empis livida. Family Empididae.
A male. The legs are brown. Length 7 - 10 mm.
April - July.
Photo 19-6-2011, 26-6-2012
Empis opaca.
Family Empididae.
A gray-black fly with orange legs and shiny black
"saddle" spots on the abdomen segments.
Length 6,5 - 9 mm. Photos 8-5-2013.
Rhamphomyia
spec. Family Empididae.
Photos 4-5-2013.
Hilara spec. Family Empididae.
This is a much smaller species. About 3 -
4 mm.
The males have swollen tarsi, which contains silk glands. These silk
glands is used to wrap up prey during courtship.
Photos
14-5-2010, 27-4-2013, 9-5-2013.
Male. The veins in the wings are better visible.
Female. Without the swollen
tarsi of the male.
Fanniidae
Family: Small flies.
Mostly grey - black. The larvae live in decaying organic matter.
Fannia spec. Family Fanniidae.
There were several of these flies as well males as females. Length about 4
mm, shiny black. There are many similar flies of the family Faniidae. It isn't possible
to determine these flies from a photo. Photos 24-5-2013.
Lesser housefly (Fannia canicularis).
Family
Fanniidae.
Photos 12-11-2012. Length 4 - 6 mm.
Fannia lustrator.
Family
Fanniidae.
Photos 17-4-2009. Characteristic to the Fannia lustrator are the
orange legs.
Fannia manicata.
Family
Fanniidae.
The tuft of hairs on the underside of the front shin is an important characteristic of the Fannia manicata. Photos 20-4-2012.
Fannia mollissima.
Family
Fanniidae.
Photos 6-5-2010. A small, dark fly. About 5 mm.
Heleomyzidae The larvae often live in decaying organic material, fungi (genus
Suillia)
Suillia spec. Family
Heleomyzidae. Notable are the
‘spines’ on the wing edge.
Suillia species are oft in the neighbourhood of mushrooms. Therefore you
can find them mainly in autumn.
Suillia variegata. Family
Heleomyzidae.
Suillia affinis resembles this fly.
The wings of Suillia variegata have darker patches. There's a small pale area on the tip after a darker patch.
Photos 17-10-2011
When it is not to cold, you can find (in the Netherlands) flies in December.
Common flies in summer, are special now.
Tephrochlamys rufiventris
Family Heleomyzidae.
The larva can be found in waste, manure hope. That's why you find the fly
oft in the neighbourhood of farms. There are even a few species of this
family in the pool area.
I have photographed this species December 25. This
fly must be able to handle the cold. There are flies similar to
Tephrochlamys rufiventris. But they are not so late or early in the year.
Megamerinidae
Megamerina dolium
Family
Megamerinidae
Megamerina dolium is
Europe'sonly
speciesof
the family.Theyare slim,dark andshiny.The legsare
orange.Ithought at firstthatitwasawaspwhen
I saw it in the garden. Size6
- 9mm. The larvae arepredators.Theylive underthebarkof
deadtrees
Big-Headed Flies
(Pipunculidae) Thereare both small andlargefliesin
this family.3.5-11.5mm.Usuallythey
arehairlessdarkflieswith very largeeyes.
The larvaeare
parasites ofcicadas.The cicadas don'tsurvive,because itis finallycompletelyeaten.Thenthe
larvaepupatein the soil.They are relatedtohover flies.
Thespeciescan not be
determined from
this photos. This is asmall
fly.About
4mm.
Photo 17-6-2011.
Psilidae
Carrot fly. Psila merdaria
or Psila fimetaria. The difference is not
visible on these photos. Family Psilidae
A
striking orange fly. It has few brushes
and clear wings. The length of this fly was about one cm.
The larvae of the carrot flies are fytofaag
(plant eating). They live in the roots, bulbs and non-woody stems.
Snipe flies (Rhagionidae) Snipe flies are small- or large-sized flies.
They have slender bodies, long legs and long wings.
Small Fleck-winged Snipe Fly, Rhagio lineola. Family snipe flies
(Rhagionidae).
About 8 mm. Photo 10-7-2010.
Chrysopilus cristatus. Family snipe flies
(Rhagionidae).
Female: The abdomen is gold coloured. The thorax shows two gray stripes. Male
(left photo): It is slimmer and
darker with less clear or no gray stripes. It is very similar to the in
the Netherlands rare C. splendidus.
Length 6 - 8 mm. Europe. Photos 6-6-2011, 2-7-2012.
Rhagio tringarius
Family snipe flies (Rhagionidae) female
Alargeryellow-brownfly.Approximately8 to 14mm.The thoraxis
slightlydarkeryellowwithbrown stripesin length.On
the abdomenaredark spots.The maleis
slimmer,thetip ofthe
abdomenof
the maleisdark. The larvaefeed
on larvae of other species andlive
in thedampsoil.The
adultflyseemsto
catchotherflies.
June
- September.
Europe
Photos 19-8-2011
Pissebedvliegen (Rhinophoridae) It also has the stiff
hairs like the Tachinidae. The antennae are smaller.
In the Netherlands there are 7 species. The larvae are parasitoids of woodlice.
Parasitoids like the larvae of the Tachinidae. More
information
about Rhinophoridae.
Melanophora
roralis. Family Rhinophoridae.
He has dark wings with clear veins. The females have white wing tips.
The fly in the photo is about 5 mm. Photo 17-6-2011.
Rhinophora lepida. Family
Rhinophoridae.
A small, shiny dark fly. I see these flies in June and
July on many flowers in the garden. In the first two pictures it is on Yarrow.
Photos 12-6-2011
Phyto melanocephala. Family Rhinophoridae.
Photos 24-11-2011. Very, very late for this fly.
Stevenia umbratica. Family Rhinophoridae.
Probably for it is very similar to Stevenia atramentaria.
Photos 22-7-2012.
Paykullia maculata
Familie
Pissebedvliegen (Rhinophoridae)
This fly walked with waving wings on my
greenhouse.
The wings are partly dark. (shading along the wing veins) Small. (the
squares are 2 mm.)
Dung-flies, Scathophagidae The
sizevaries.3 to 12mm.
The body and legs often have many brushes and hairs. The
larvaelivein
rottingorganicwastes such asmanure.But there arealsolarvae, which are miners.
Scathophaga spec.
Family Dungflies (Scathophagidae)
Scathophaga with light coloured antennas are
difficult to determine.
The Scathophaga furcata have a light coloured antenna, butspecies like Scathophaga lutaria and for example S. Suilla. have
also light antennas. They catch other flies... often on
mammal faeces.
Other Scathophaga:
Photos 16-10-2011
Dungfly (Scathophaga stercoraria) Family
Dungflies (Scathophagidae)
The antennas of a dung flyhave
a dark colour.
Jürgen Peters: Das mit den dunklen Fühlern = S. stercoraria
gilt übrigens nur für Mitteleuropa. Im Norden (Norwegen, Schottland,
Shetland Inseln usw.) gibt es noch S. calida, in Rußland etc. z.B. S.
cordylurina. Die haben auch dunkle Antennen, sind aber auch ansonsten
grauer. In these area it is more difficult to determine a
Scathophaga stercoraria.
Photos of the Dungfly. March, April
2009.
They catch other flies, but sometimes
they feed on nectar. On this photos with many pollen. Flower: Pilewort
(Ficaria verna)
The females are less hairy and they're grayer.
German:
Gelbe Dungfliege, Gemeine Kotfliege French: scatophage du fumier, mouche
à merde.
Daffodil fly
(Norellia spinipes)
Family Scathophaga
The spines on the thigh are characteristic. (spinipes: thorny legged)
The female put the eggs on the leaves of the daffodil. (down near the bottom) The larva eats mainly in the part under the soil (leafminer). Therefore the outer leaves die off. The bulbs have no damage. They are often less large.
Photo: 4-4-2011
Sarcophagidae Smallto verylargeflies.3-22mm.
Characteristics: Stripes de thorax, red eyes and
a checkerboard like pattern on the abdomen. Because
of theirbrushesthey
look like tachinidae. The larvae are parasites. Furthermore, I 've
found different descriptions in books and sites. There are written about
food sources such as earthworms, insect larvae, pupae, but also dead
animals.
Flesh fly,Sarcophaga.
Family Flesh flies, Sarcophagidae.
Sarcophaga carnaria
is the most common species, but there are more similar species.
The flies feed on nectar and pollen.
German: Fleischfliegen
A young Flesh fly, Sarcophaga. The wings are not ready. That will take a while. (Two
hours is possible) Meanwhile it walks on the leave.
On the head it has a kind of hatchet. It
uses it in the egg to get out. Then it disappears.
Metopia spec. Genus Metopia.
Subfamily
Miltogramminae. Family Sarcophagidae.
There are different species. On the forum
"waarneming.nl" are 7 species for the Netherlands. (M. argentata,
M. argyrocephala, M. campestris, M. grandii, M. italiana, M. staegerii, M.
tshernovae) The differences are unfortunately very small.
It is a small mobile fly. In the sun, its face
looks like a light. That is characteristic to all family members.
The larvae of the flies in the subfamily Miltogramminae are parasites of the food
of various species of bees and wasps.
The large photo: A young fly.
Photos juni 2012, left bottom 14-5-2011.
Photos 25-4-2011. An other Metopia spec. Browner. Only the lower part of the head is white.
Not in the garden but in the dunes 3 km from my house.
Miltogramma germari. Genus Metopia. Subfamily
Miltogramminae. Family Sarcophagidae.
The other two species in the Netherlands are M. punctata
and M. Testaceifrons. Miltogramma germari is recognizable by the light brown part on the head. The similarity with Metopia is clear. However, they have less hard bristles on the abdomen.
They are parasites of nesting wasps like Digger Wasps (Sphecidae).
Photos 12-7-2012.
Sciomyzidae It has got this name snail-killer
because the larvae
parasite on snails and slugs.
Marsh fly, snail-killer
spec, Tetanocera
spec. Family Sciomyzidae.
In the Netherlands there are many very similar species of this family. Tetanocera
arrogans, T. elata, T. ferruginea,
T. freyi, T. fuscinervis, T. hyalipennis, T. montana, T. phyllophora, T.
punctifrons, T. robusta, T. silvatica.
They sometimes look similar on the
flies of the family Scathophaga. But they are less hairy.
Some photos I 've taken.
Photos 4-7-2011, 25-4-2011, 23-4-2011, 27-9-2011
Couple Photo 24-4-2011
Tetanocera ferruginea. Family
Sciomyzidae.
This brown snail killer could be identified. On a rotten apple.
Foto's 5-10-2012.
Coremacera marginata. Family Sciomyzidae.
A marsh fly with a greyish thorax and dark-greyish
wings with many light-greyish spots.
Length 7 - 10 mm. May - October.
Europe - Near East. Photos 24-9-2012.
Sepedon spinipes.
Family Sciomyzidae.
Spinipes because it has spines on the thighs. A much slimmer
fly than the Tetanocera. Length about 8 mm.
Photos 04-04-2011, 19-4-2013.
Elgiva solicita.
Family Sciomyzidae.
It looks like the Tentanocera. In the
Netherlands, there are two species. The other species is Elgiva cucularia.
Photo 12-04-2011.
Hors-flies, gadflies ( Tabanidae).
In our garden we almost never see a gadfly. The fly feeds on nectar and pollen. The female sticks and then sucks blood from humans and animals. It needs
blood for the eggs to develop. The larvae are aquatic, semi-aquatic or terrestrial and
feed on other invertebrates such as worms, snails and other Diptera larvae, including their own species.
(translated text Pjotr Oosterbroek) There are about 38 species in the Netherlands.
A link to the
species on waarneming.
Large marsh horsefly(Tabanus autumnalis).
Family Horse-flies, gadflies (Tabanidae). Female.
A large gray fly. On the abdomen are light triangular spots. But more
horse-flies have triangular spots. The sharp mouth parts are visible in
the left pictures. A horse-fly has no arista on the antenna.
It looks like the band-eyed brown horsefly (T. bromius) and pale giant horse-fly
(T. bovinus).
Length about 20 mm.
April - September.
Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Western Asia.
Photos 29-6-2012.
Horse Fly (Haematopota). Family Horse-flies, gadflies
(Tabanidae). Female.
In the Netherlands there are several similar
species. Haematopota crassicornis, Common Horse Fly or Notch-horned Cleg Fly
(Haematopota pluvialis), Haematopota subcylindrica, Haematopota italica. Rarer:
Haematopota scutellata and Haematopota bigoti.
Already the second horse fly in the garden this year. I was stabbed twice in my arm.
An hour later I saw it in the scullery. I could take a picture before it flew away.
A week later I was stabled in my leg. I've taken a photo of this horse
fly.
This horse fly is identifiable by the zigzag lines on the brightly
coloured eyes and the spotted pattern on the wings. Those wings are folded
roof-shaped over the body.
The length of this horse fly was about 11 mm.
Photo 9-8-2012, 18-8-2012.
Stiletto flies (Therevidae) They are mostly hairy flies.
Common
stiletto fly(Thereva nobilitata). Family Therevidae.
From this family, there are many small species. The Common
stiletto fly is larger. But there there are similar species. It is not
quite sure.
The English name refers to the narrow, tapering abdomens. The dense short
golden hair looks like felt. (Dutch name translated: felt fly) Between the
eyes of the female are two dark spots.
Length 10 - 13 mm.
May - September
Female. Photos 30-6-2012.
The male. Photos 19-6-2010.
Ulidiidae The wings have a pattern of spots or a spot at the top of the wing.
Seioptera
vibrans.Family
Ulidiidae.
A shiny dark fly with a prominent spot on the wings. He looks like a Lesser
dung fly.
As a l
you can find the larvae in manure and decaying material.
I want to thank everyone, who has helped me (waarneming.nl)
to identify. In particular, Joke van Erkelens, Robert Heemskerk, Mark van Veen,
Gerard Pennards, Niels-Jan Dekand Han Endt. With the determination of Tachinidae I have had
much help from Theo Zeegers and Chris Raper. (On diptera)
Nederlands /
Dutch
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