Please I.D. this fly for me
January 7, 2010
these photos were taken on the 4th July 2009 at the side a track which runs along side a woodland which is within the very large area of Britains largest lowland raised bog area called Thorne Moor in South Yorkshire.The weather was warm still and sunny at the time
Malcolm Corps
South Yorkshire, England, U.K.
Dear Malcolm,
We have been obsessed with trying to identify your magnificent black fly with a golden head, but alas, we have had no luck. The Bioimages website Diptera page is rather difficult to search for images and it proved fruitless. www.gwydir.cemon.co.uk is a nice website with numerous photos of flies, but again, your distinctive fly is not represented. We believe this is a Tachinid Fly in the family Tachinidae. We would not rule out a Bee Fly in the family Bombyliidae, or it may even be in some other family. We have finally decided to post your photos and request assistance from our readership and we will also be writing to Eric Eaton to see if he can at least provide the family.
We believe the third photo you submitted is of a different species since the wing pattern is different.
Eric Eaton provides an identification
Yes, this is definitely a large tachinid fly, Family Tachinidae, maybe Tachinia grossa. The third image is of the backside of a different fly, and that one is a flower fly (Syrphidae), specifically Volucella pellucens.
Eric
I’ve seen one of these too. The first image, all black – body of a bee, fly head with a gold visor.
I have just seen one of these up loudoun hill in Ayrshire Scotland and been searching everywhere for what it is . Any idea anyone.