Nematoceran Flies

Tipulidae

This family contains the larger craneflies. There are 87 British species known to date, and a good variety has been identified in the village so far, although surely still more to find.

Nephrotoma appendiculata

Nephrotoma cornicina

Nephrotoma crocata

Nephrotoma flavescens

Nephrotoma quadrifaria

Tipula confusa

Tipula fulvipennis

Tipula lateralis

Tipula livida

Tipula lunata

Tipula maxima

Tipula obsoleta

Tipula oleracea

Tipula pabulina

Tipula pagana

Tipula paludosa

Tipula rufina

Tipula signata

Tipula staegeri

Tipula unca

Tipula varipennis

Tipula vernalis

Tipula vittata

Pediciidae

These are the 'hairy-eyed craneflies', with 20 known British species but just one identified in the village so far.

Tricyphona immaculata

Limoniidae

A large family of over 200 smaller craneflies. Surely lots more species still to find around the village.

Cheilotrichia cinerascens

Dicranomyia chorea

Dicranomyia modesta

Dicranophragma adjunctum

Ellipteroides lateralis

Epiphragma ocellare

Erioconopa trivialis

Erioptera lutea

Euphylidorea lineola

Ilisia maculata

Limonia nigropunctata

Limonia nubeculosa

Limonia phragmitidis

Molophilus obscurus

Ormosia lineata

Pseudolimnophila sepium

Rhipidia maculata

Bibionidae

A family of 18 species, with the St Mark's Fly as the largest and best known species. Males and females differ significantly in appearance.  Several more species are likely to be present.

Bibio anglicus

Bibio clavipes

Bibio hortulanus

Bibio johannis

Bibio marci (St Mark's Fly)

Bibio varipes

Dilophus febrilis

Dilophus femoratus

Sciaridae

Large family of over 250 small flies, with just one distinctive species identified so far.

Sciara hemerobioides

Cecidomyiidae

A huge family of over 650 species of 'gall midges', so known as their larvae live in galls - i.e. they affect plant tissue causing abnormal growth. Many species are more easily identified (or certainly detected) via these galls.

Contarinia acerplicans

Dasineura affinis

Dasineura auritae

Dasineura fraxini

Dasineura tiliae

Dasineura ulmaria

Geocrypta galii

Hartigiola annulipes

Iteomyia major

Jaapiella veronicae

Rabdophaga strobilina

Wachtliella rosarum

Trichoceridae

A small family of winter midges, superficially like small craneflies. Can be very common, including at light, over winter months.

Trichocera annulata

Trichocera hiemalis

Trichocera major

Trichocera regelationis

Anisopidae

A small family of only four 'window midges'.

Sylvicola fenestralis

Sylvicola punctatus

Scatopsidae

About 50 species of small flies.

Scatopse notata

Ptychopteridae

Sometimes called Phantom Craneflies, although not closely related to the true cranefly families. Striking general appearance.

Ptychoptera albimana - most frequent of the genus in the village

Ptychoptera contaminata - several records

Ptychoptera lacustris - several records

Culicidae

The true mosquitoes, of which we have 35 species in Britain. Have only confirmed two species in the village so far, both from my bedroom (and elsewhere).

Culex pipiens

Culiseta annulata

Chironomidae

Huge family of over 600 'non-biting midges', of which I've only identified a single species to date. Must try much harder!

Psectrotanypus varius

Brachyceran flies

Rhagionidae

Snipeflies, a small family of 15 species of relatively large and distinctive flies.

Chrysopilus asiliformis (Little Snipefly)

Chrysopilus cristatus (Black Snipefly)

Rhagio lineola (Small Fleck-winged Snipefly)

Rhagio scolopaceus (Downlooker Snipefly)

Rhagio tringarius (Marsh Snipefly)

Tabanidae

The horseflies, about 30 species of large (sometimes very large) flies.

Chrysops caecutiens (Splayed Deerfly)

Chrysops relictus (Twin-lobed Deerfly)

Haematopota pluvialis (Notch-horned Cleg)

Hybomitra bimaculata (Hairy-legged Horsefly)

Hybomitra distinguenda (Bright Horsefly)

Tabanus bromius (Band-eyed Brown Horsefly)

Xylomyidae

Small family of just three species.

Solva marginata (Drab Wood-soldierfly)

Stratiomyidae

The soldierflies, about 50 species, many of which are quite large and colourful; many are largely restricted to wetlands.

Beris chalybata (Murky-legged Black Legionnaire)

Beris clavipes (Scarce Orange Legionnaire)

Beris fuscipes (Short-horned Black Legionnaire) - perhaps the first for East Anglia was found on the common in 2021

Beris geniculata (Long-horned Black Legionnaire)

Beris morrisii (Yellow-legged Black Legionnaire)

Beris vallata (Common Orange Legionnaire)

Chloromyia formosa (Broad Centurion)

Chorisops nagatomii (Bright Four-spined Legionnaire)

Chorisops tibialis (Dull Four-spined Legionnaire)

Microchrysa cyaneiventris (Black Gem)

Microchrysa flavicornis (Green Gem)

Microchrysa polita (Black-horned Gem)

Nemotelus nigrinus (All-black Snout)

Nemotelus pantherinus (Fen Snout)

Odontomyia argentata (Silver Colonel)

Odontomyia tigrina (Black Colonel)

Oplodontha viridula (Common Green Colonel)

Oxycera nigricornis (Delicate Soldier)

Oxycera rara (Four-barred Major)

Oxycera trilineata (Three-lined Soldier)

Pachygaster atra (Dark-winged Black)

Pachygaster leachii (Yellow-legged Black)

Sargus bipunctatus (Twin-spot Centurion)

Sargus flavipes (Yellow-legged Centurion)

Sargus iridatus (Iridescent Centurion)

Bombyliidae

Bee-flies, just ten British species of which only the one recorded species is likely to be present.

Bombylius major (Dark-edged Bee-fly)

Scenopinidae

Scenopinus fenestralis (House Windowfly)

Therevidae

Stiletto-flies, a small family of just 14 species.

Thereva nobilitata (Common Stiletto)

Asilidae

Robberflies, a small group of often quite large and spectacular flies, with about 30 British species.

Dioctria atricapilla (Violet Black-legged Robberfly)

Dioctria baumhaueri (Stripe-legged Robberfly)

Dioctria rufipes (Common Red-legged Robberfly)

Leptogaster cylindrica (Striped Slender Robberfly)

Leptogaster guttiventris (Dashed Slender Robberfly)

Machimus atricapillus (Kite-tailed Robberfly)

Neoitamus cyanurus (Common Awl Robberfly)

Empidae

Family of about 200 flies, not generally well recorded. Only a few identified to date, must be many more.

Empis livida

Empis lutea

Empis scutellata

Empis stercorea

Empis tessellata

Empis trigramma

Hilara maura

Rhamphomyia atra

Rhamphomyia crassirostris

Rhamphomyia pilifer

Rhamphomyia subcinerascens

Rhamphomya sulcatella

Hybotidae

Hybos femoratus

Stilpon graminum

Tachypeza nubila

Dolichopodidae

Even larger family of 300 species, only two identified to date.

Campsicnemus scambus

Chrysotus blepharosceles

Dolichopus ungulatus

Poecilobothrus nobilitatus

Sciapus platypterus

Platypezidae

Small family of about 30 'flat-footed flies'. Just the one identified so far.

Polyporivora picta

Phoridae

Spiniphora bergenstammi

Triphleba lugubris

Lonchopteridae

Spear-winged flies, just seven British species known.

Lonchoptera bifurcata

Lonchoptera lutea

Syrphidae

These are the hoverflies, one of the better known groups. For some reason, hoverflies are viewed in a more positive light than most other flies by the public. There are over 250 British species, and many can be identified in the field, although lots do still require capture and closer examination. I've been looking at hoverflies for many decades and so the list below is quite long (81 at time of writing), but I suspect there are still numerous other species in the village that I've overlooked thus far.

Baccha elongata - very long thin species, noted widely

Brachyopa scutellaris

Brachypalpoides lentus

Cheilosia albipila

Cheilosia albitarsis - Stubbs Green and the Common

Cheilosia bergenstammi - several times in garden, plus elsewhere

Cheilosia fraterna - only noted once, on Common in 2013

Cheilosia grossa

Cheilosia illustrata

Cheilosia impressa

Cheilosia pagana

Cheilosia proxima

Cheilosia urbana

Cheilosia variabilis

Cheilosia vernalis

Chrysogaster solstitialis

Chrysotoxum bicinctum

Chrysotoxum festivum

Chrysotoxum verralli

Criorhina berberina

Dasysyrphus albostriatus

Epistrophe eligans

Episyrphus balteatus

Eristalinus sepulchralis

Eristalis arbustorum

Eristalis interruptus

Eristalis intricarius

Eristalis pertinax

Eristalis tenax

Eumerus funeralis

Eumerus ornatus

Eumerus strigatus

Eupeodes corollae

Eupeodes latifasciatus

Eupeodes luniger

Ferdinandea cuprea

Helophilus hybridus

Helophilus pendulus

Lejogaster metallina

Leucozona lucorum

Melangyna labiatarum

Melanogaster hirtella

Melanostoma mellinum

Melanostoma scalare

Meliscaeva auricollis

Merodon equestris

Myathropa florea

Neoascia meticulosa

Neoascia podagrica

Neoascia tenur

Orthonevra brevicornis

Orthonevra nobilis

Paragus haemorrhous

Parhelophilus frutetorum

Parhelophilus versicolor

Pipiza austriaca

Pipiza noctiluca

Pipizella viduata

Platycheirus albimanus

Platycheirus ambiguus

Platycheirus angustatus

Platycheirus clypeatus

Platycheirus granditarsus

Platycheirus manicatus

Platycheirus peltatus

Platycheirus rosarum

Platycheirus scutatus

Rhingia campestris

Riponnensia splendens

Scaeva pyrastri

Sericomyia silentis

Sphaerophoria scripta

Sphaerophoria taeniata

Sphegina clunipes

Sphegina elegans

Syritta pipiens

Syrphus ribesii

Syrphus torvus

Syrphus vitripennis

Tropidia scita

Volucella bombylans

Volucella inanis

Volucella inflata

Volucella pellucens

Volucella zonaria

Xanthogramma pedissequum

Xylota abiens

Xylota segnis

Xylota sylvarum

Acalypterate flies

Conopidae

Conops quadrifasciatus

Leopoldius signatus

Myopa tessellatipennis

Physocephala rufipes

Sicus ferrugineus

Thecophora atra

Pallopteridae

Palloptera muliebris

Palloptera scutellata

Palloptera umbellatarum

Platystomatidae

Platystoma seminationis

Rivellia syngenesiae

Tephritidae

Anomoia purmunda

Chaetorellia jaceae

Chaetostomella cylindrica

Euleia heraclei

Tephritis bardanae

Tephritis formosa

Tephritis neesii

Terellia tussilaginis

Trypeta artemisiae

Urophora cardui

Urophora jaceana

Urophora solstitialis

Urophora quadrifasciata

Ulidiidae

Otites guttatus

Physiphora alceae

Micropezidae

Neria cibaria

Psilidae

Loxocera aristata

Psila merdaria

Dryomyzidae

Neuroctena anilis

Sepsidae

Sepsis fulgens

Sepsis violacea

Sciomyzidae

Coremacera marginata

Elgiva solicita

Euthycera fumigata

Hydromya dorsalis

Ilione albiseta

Limnia paludicola

Limnia unguicornis

Pherbellia cinerella

Pherbellia schoenherri

Pherbina coryleti

Sepedon sphegea

Tetanocera hyalipennis

Heleomyzidae

Heteromyza oculata

Heteromyza rotundicornis

Suillia pallida

Suillia variegata

Tephrochlamys rufiventris

Lauxaniidae

Calliopum aeneum

Calliopum tuberculosum

Meiosimyza rorida

Minettia inusta

Peplomyza litura

Sapromyza apicalis

Agromyzidae

Agromyza alnivora

Agromyza idaeiana

Agromyza myosotidis

Agromyza nana

Agromyza reptans

Cerodontha iridis

Liriomyza amoena

Phytomyza chaerophylli

Phytomyza hellebori

Phytomyza ilicis

Phytomyza obscurella

Phytomyza ranunculi

Phytomyza ranunculivora

Opomyzidae

Geomyza tripunctata

Opomyza florum

Opomyza germinationis

Opomyza punctata

Ephydridae

Limnellia fallax

Parydra coarctata

Drosophilidae

Cacoxenus indagator

Drosophila suzukii

Calypterate Flies

Hippoboscidae

Louse-flies, which are parasites of birds and mammals. About 16 British species, with probably a number of other species present in the village.

Lipoptena cervi  - parasitic on deer, noted in 2023

Ornithomya avicularia

Crataerina hirundinis - a parasite of House Martins, found on a wall under the nests of this species a couple of times.

Anthomyiidae

A large family of about 250 species, for which identification is very difficult. I haven't really made any progress with these to date but presumably there are many in the village.

Botanophila fugax

Botanophila striolata

Egle ciliata

Hydrophoria lancifer

Pegomya laticornis - the larvae of these species mine the leaves of burdock and have been found along Naidens Lane. The mines of another species of this genus have been found in sugar beet, but apparently need rearing to adult before they can be reliably identified.

Fanniidae

About 60 species of 'lesser house flies', only one identified to date but many others must be present too

Fannia lustrator - specimens identified in 2013 and 2020

Fannia scalaris

Muscidae

A major family of about 300 species including the 'House Fly' but many others besides. Have only scratched the surface really, and lots more to discover.

Eudasyphora cyanella - a large greenbottle lookalike, noted three times but probably frequently overlooked.

Graphomya maculata - a well marked fly, confirmed a few times and suspected (without keying) more frequently.

Hebecnema umbratica

Hebecnema vespertina - keyed from the garden in 2020

Helina evecta - identified twice

Helina impuncta - identified once

Hydrotaea cyrtoneurina - keyed from the garden in 2020

Lispocephala alma

Mesembrina meridiana (Noon Fly) - a distinctive fly, readily identified in the field and frequently observed

Musca autumnalis - identified from the house several times

Musca domestica - the common 'House Fly', but as autumnalis also occurs, flies can't be assumed to be this without careful checking.

Neomyia cornicina

Phaonia angelicae - keyed once in 2020

Phaonia errans - keyed three times in 2020

Phaonia subventa - keyed five times

Phaonia tuguriorum - keyed once in 2019

Phaonia valida - keyed once in 2020

Potamia littoralis

Scathophagidae

A small family of about 60 species, often referred to as 'dung flies' although not all species are dung feeders (the commonest one definitely is though). Doubtless many overlooked species.

Cleigastra apicalis

Norellia spinipes

Scathophaga furcata - regularly identified between December and March

Scathophaga stercoraria (Yellow Dung Fly) - a very familiar species on cow dung

Spaziphora hydromyzina - keyed once in 2015

Calliphoridae

These are the 'blow flies', including the most familiar bluebottles and greenbottles. This is quite a small family, with only 30 British species. Careful searching would probably turn up about half of these around the village, but to date I've only pinned down six.

Calliphora vicina - the most common bluebottle around houses and gardens, abundant.

Calliphora vomitoria - identified once in the village, presumably widespread if I looked harder.

Lucilia caesar - identified a few times, common in human situations.

Lucilia sericata - identified a few times, more associated with countryside.

Melinda gentilis - a small bluebottle lookalike whose larvae parasites snails, recorded once in 2013

Melinda viridicyanea - another snail parasitising small bluebottle, recorded in 2015 along Naidens Lane.

Polleniidae

The 'cluster flies', previously classified within the Calliphoridae. Several common species, but needing microscopic examination to tell apart. A few more species are likely to be present also. Many are parasites of earthworms.

Pollenia amentaria (Black-bellied Clusterfly) - identified once

Pollenia angustigena (Narrow-cheeked Clusterfly) - the most frequently identified, noted 11 times so far

Pollenia pediculata (Tufted Clusterfly) - identified twice

Pollenia rudis (Awkward Clusterfly) - identified three times

Rhinophoridae

Rhinophora lepida (Pouting Woodlouse-fly)

Sarcophagidae

The 'flesh-flies', over 60 British species, many of which are in the large genus Sarcophaga which all have a very similar appearance and need very close examination. Have only just started to look at these, and lots of other species will be present.

Brachicoma devia - keyed in 2020

Sarcophaga carnaria - keyed in 2020

Sarcophaga nigriventris - keyed in 2020

Sarcophaga subvicina - keyed in 2020

Sarcophaga vagans

Sarcophaga variegata - keyed in 2020

Tachinidae

Tachinids are parasitic flies. There are over 250 British species and doubtless lots more still to find in Shotesham.

Athrycia trepida

Cistogaster globosa

Cyzenis albicans - a parasite of the Winter Moth caterpillar, and doubtless very common - several keyed in spring 2020

Dexia rustica - keyed on the common in 2020

Dufouria chalybeata - keyed from the garden in 2020

Eriothrix rufomaculata - the most frequently identified species so far, parasitising moth larvae

Gymnocheta viridis - a large greenbottle lookalike, found in 2020 by the Little Wood

Lydella stabulans - two found on Hogweed in 2020

Lypha dubia

Macquartia grisea - identified a couple of times coming to the garden moth trap

Phryxe nemea

Siphona geniculata - keyed once in 2020

Tachina fera - a large fly, identifiable in the field with practice