Conopidae; (Diptera), At Mill Meadow, Drakes Broughton, 2000

I first became aware of this fascinating and quite bizarre family of flies after photographing a specimen of Myopa buccata, (Conopidae), on Spurge flowers at Wyre Forest, (Shropshire), on 27.5.00. I had no idea of what it was at the time, so I tubed the Fly and asked Mike Bloxham to take a look, who later confirmed the identification

Since then I have found one or two species of Conopid flies at Mill Meadow, Drakes Broughton. Most have been painfully difficult to photograph but the following were captured on film with sufficient clarity to determine their identification; with grateful thanks to P.F.Whitehead.

Sicus ferrugineus. (Conopidae). One photographed on 15.7.00.
Physocephala rufipes. (Conopidae). One photographed on 31.7.00.
Conops quadrifasciata. (Conopidae). One photographed on 10.9.00.