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This was a very large and interesting fly from April. I think it is a Calliphorid fly, but I am not sure at all. Any idea what this is? Is this a common species just after emerging?

Some other images are on my web site.

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Hi Xespok.
I think it is Tachinidae just after emerging.
Nikita

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So can I put this down as a Tachinid fly? M vein has a strong kink, does this help?

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In this condition, before the cuticle has coloured up, it's difficult to say, but I note that the antennae look like they are plumose.
Now, if I have been listening correctly to Theo's teachings, there are very few Tachinidae with plumose arista, and I don't think any of them are likely to be this shape, so I'd say Calliphoridae. :)

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My reason was that plumose arista or not is badly visible, but as Xespok has wrote vein M curved too strong for Calliphoridae.
So, I think we need Theo's opinion. If Theo will exclude Tachinidae, than I think that in april, with such head shape and with such M it has to be Cynomyia mortuorum.
Nikita

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I am pretty sure it isn't a tachinid ... there is the bend in vein-M but with such strongly plumose arista (apparently) and soft hairs, not thick bristles ... I'd go for Callaphoridae perhaps ... hard to say for sure though :)

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The very deep bend in vein M is misleading because the wing has not expanded fully. When it has expanded more, the bend in vein M will not be so acute, and it will be much more like a normal calliphorid.
The head shape is also misleading because the ptilinum has not yet contracted fully, so the frons appears longer than it will be. There's more than one pair of presutural acrostichals, so I don't think it's Cynomyia. I haven't checked fully, but my guess is Lucilia or Calliphora - the chaetotaxy should be able to get it to genus, but I'm pushed for time this morning! :(

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Tony and Chris, I have to admit that your reasons are much more reasonable than mine. Nikita

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This fly was a very large one, aorund 14-16mm, much larger than Lucilia, at least in the size range of Calliphora. So I'd go for Calliphora or Cynomyia.

Actually I found this fly on the wall of the Institute of Pathology and Forensic Medicine. So there is a realistic chance that it developed in a human.

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Can't help you out without a head profile,
but agree with Tony, chances that this is a Tachinid are quite small indeed. And agree with his arguments


Theo

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Thanks for the extra information, Xespok. From what you tell us, I'd have to say Calliphora. Cynomyia mortuorum (the only European species) has a single pair of presutural acrostichal bristles (as a rule), and also has an anterior preapical bristle on the mid femur, so it clearly isn't that. No other European calliphorids reach such a size.