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Moscow, park, near jusing birch, 10-11mm, 29 apr.
There is some orange on the head, but generaly head is much more yellow. So, it isn't one more melanist of G. divisa. Abdomen black with one small red spot and well developed white lines.
Gonia ornata?

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Hi Nikita


Gonia are very difficult and then again, I may be fooled by the reflexion of the light and/or the flash.
So, I really need to see the specimen itself to be sure.
First impression is G. picea, but the tail is out of focus, which makes it even harder to come to a definite conclusion.

Sorry


Theo

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Thank you Theo.
Could I try to show you two more vue of this fly?
Nikita

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Same fly. Lateral vue with red spot and cheek.
Please, Theo, help!

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Hmm ... possibly Gonia picea, as Theo suggested - the red marks are very reduced. But that's just how I would identify it here in England - I am not sure what other strange and wonderful species you have in Moscow ;)

I went out yesterday to look for interesting tachinids but all I saw were Gymnocheata viridis - 100s of them all sitting on tree trunks and fence posts. They're a nice easy species to identify but it would have been good to see something a bit more exciting, like a Gonia or T.ursina. :(

Chris R.

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1. Thank you Chris.
2. Never seen G. viridis alife.
3. Today I collected several small brown-black Tachinidas from the wall of my countryhouse. And two more Gonia divisa. Same place as 5 days before, all same melanist;)
Nikita

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Hi Nikita,

this helps. You can see
* white pruinescense on the parafacialia in some pictures
* small white band on last tergite
* bristles on parafacialia are less dense than in divisa


So this equals G. picea, as guessed earlier.

Theo

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Theo, thank you very very much!
P.S. Do you need G. divisa black morpha for your collection?