There are many species in our garden. 
Characteristic: Small slender flies. Different colours. From yellow to black. 
Usually they are difficult to determine from a photo. Length from 4 up to 12 mm. The wing vein M1 is straight and the anal vein long.
They feed on nectar and pollen but there are also predaceous species on small flies. 
When you want to see more species, you can look here. 
The larvae are feeding on plants or decaying organic matter. Sometimes they are miners.

German: Blumenfliegen

The differences however are very small with the Anthomyia pluvialis / Anthomyia parva Kabos   
A. pluvialis has two names. The first name is the oldest. 
Pluvialis means in Latin rain: It seems to dance before it is raining. Eggs on rotting vegetation.

The Limnophora tigrina Family Muscidae is a little bit similar

  Photos 28-5-2010, 19-5-2010, 4-4-2011   
Joke van Erkelens: A. pluvialis has a black spot just above the top of the wing is separated from the larger spot above. The two spots of the A. procllaris look like one spot. On the hindtibia of A. procellaris about 5 to 9 dorsal hairs.
But the differences are small. It remains uncertain.

      Photos 11-4-2011

The eggs are deposited at the base of plants including cabbage. They are not fooled by fake plants though. The larvae are  a pest of crops.


2 - 3 generations a year. 4 -7 mm.

     Photos 6 March 2010

Features: The beginning of the wings is yellow. The prealar is long and the femurs are are dark (tibia yellowish) The wings of the fly on these photos look darker than on most images.

Hylemya nigrimana and Hylemya vagans are very similar.

 Photo 7-3-2011

Lasiomma seminitidum en Lasiomma anthomyinum are very similar. 
But from these flies I know it is a Lasiomma seminitidum. (Thanks Joke) Left the male (photo 19-3-2011) and under the female. (photo 3-7-2011)
Here is more information: Lasiomma. This fly is new in the Netherlands. Probably, it is often confused with its well known relative.

This flies can be  recognized by the shape of the head. Further determine from a picture is difficult. Like par example Nomada (cuckoo bees), they lay their eggs in nests of bees. 

Determine from a photo is difficult. But Leucophora obtusa can now be determined. 

Joke van Erkelens (translated) : Here we see quite clearly a ventral seta on the mid thigh.
Scutellum with rows of hairs on the sides and all over very hairy ....

      Photos 4-4-2011

The larvae seem to cause "foam cups" on Common Ragwort

A small fly. The buds of ivy are 4 mm wide. It was a little hazy. Therefore, the photos are not very sharp.
 In 20011, I have taken more photos.

Possible Pegomya bicolor or Pegomya solennis. To see this, you need a good view of the length of the prealar and the colour of the palps. These species are common in the Netherlands and are leafminers. But there are more similar species. Those species are miners on mushrooms. With thanks to Joke van Erkelens.

    Photos 29-9-2010.   Photos 4-11-2011

      Foto 30-8-2010