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Fly attracted to mercury vapor light. Is this an Empid? If so it is the most colorful one I have photographed. ID help appreciated.

With the little appendage at the tip of the abdomen (visible in the lateral view) this is a female?

Date 1 May 2007. Measured 6.3 mm from the front of the eyes to the rear of the abdomen, not including the little appendage at the tip of the abdomen. Near both woodlands and meadows, West Virginia USA.

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Here's a second view.

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Here's the third and final view.

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Hi,
Your images are probably Empis poeciloptera Loew, 1861. In this species there is a crossvein between R2+3 and R4 that is quite rare for Empis.
All the best,
Igor:)

Sorry, I overlooked your question. Yes, this is a female. The appendages you noted are cerci.
:)

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Thanks very much, Igor, I really appreciate your ID!

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Igor, is this also Xanthempis?

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Hi Paul,

Indeed, habitually this species resembles Xanthempis; but, probably, pronotum is not so strongly developed and not bilobed and legs are with short, spine-like, ventral bristles. Unfortunately, the Nearctic Empis species have not been mostly revised yet. Definitely, Polyblepharis and Anacrostichus are present in North America.

Cheers,

Igor
:)