Tachinid Fly

Tachinid fly Gymnosoma rotundatum (Diptera: Tachinidae).  Gymnosoma nitens, which is also found in the UK,  is very similar in appearance but is distinctly smaller (3-4mm long, as opposed to 6-8mm).

Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2011-07-25.

Comments

[Chris Foster]

I photographed this species in the Harris Garden yesterday and subsequently found your 2011 record via the NBN Atlas. A nice looking fly. Here's my record. https://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/record-details?occurrence_id=5410141.
Had you seen any since 2011? We seem to be right on the edge of the range here.

I've also just seen your report of a new Anthomyiid for Britain from Whiteknights. What a great find! I work in Biological Sciences and help to maintain the campus species lists, though as you will see from the fly list they're badly in need of updating: all records gratefully received. http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/whiteknightsbiodiversity/campus-species-lists/animals/insecta-insects/diptera-flies/

Best wishes,

Chris

[Tristram Brelstaff]

Since 2014 I have been collecting flies rather than just photographing them. I have 3 specimens of Gymnosoma rotandatum which I caught in Whiteknight Park on 2014-07-20, 2016-08-06, and 2017-07-16. In my records I have marked these as 'cf rotundatum' because there is a third Gymnosoma species on the British checklist: clavatum and I didn't feel confident enough to separate clavatum and rotundatum, even with a stereomicroscope and a key .