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Photo#78548
Tiger Flies - Coenosia

Tiger Flies - Coenosia
Wellesley, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA
September 21, 2006
Seems "stockier" than others I have photographed.

Moved
Moved from Flies.

I thought it looked familar
Fortunately, I found the fly I was looking for. Could yours be a root-maggot fly?



While no expert, I've had a lot of flies IDed here. (Thanks, everyone, Eric and Adalbert definitely included.)

(Next is mostly for Bill.)
Tachinids have bristles, not hair. I know the distinction can seem arbitrary, but bristles are more "spikey".

Speaking of flies in a more general sense, heads/faces can be important. Wing pattern (venation) is also important.

 
I'm not convinced
that this and the Anthomyid several comments above are the same species. The dark spots of the terga and coloration of the legs certainly differ signifincatly. I can only easily tell Anthomyids be seeing the veins in the wings; could easily believe that this is an Anthomyid.

They're most eaily separated from Scathophagids by technical characters like presence of hairy fringe on ventral scutellum. But overall body build (Scathos with a lighter build) helps at a distance. THe lower calypter of Scatho's is always linear; not broad.

But my guess would be a Muscid of some sort.

 
Ron
Thanks for the lesson. I'll browse the guide some more.
For example, looks promising.
Leg color, bristles on legs, and eye shape look closer to me than the thumb you provided.

Not tachinid.
I have to issue the disclaimer that flies are among my weaker orders of expertise, but this looks to me more like a dung fly in the family Scathophagidae (aka Scatophagidae).

 
Eric
Is there some specific characteristic that makes you say so?
(Just trying to learn)

Tachinid fly
.

 
Adalbert
Yes, in the Guide it looks quite a bit like this

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