Yellow Fly

A small yellow fly, probably   Palloptera quinquemaculata = Palloptera arcuata (Diptera: Pallopteridae).  Initially I thought it was a Minettia inusta (Diptera: Lauxaniidae) but was put right by Roger Morris in a comment to another post here. 

It might also be mistaken for a Tephritid fly such as Xyphosia miliaria, however, its wing pattern is subtly different, its eyes are smaller, and X. miliaria tend to found on or close to thistles, its host plant.

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2012-06-13.

And Yet Another Tephritid Fly

A male Urophora stylata (Diptera: Tephritidae) on knapweed (Centaurea sp).  My first for this year.  For a female see here.

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2012-06-20.

Muscid Fly

A female Mydaea sp (Diptera: Muscidae).  Identified by Stephane Lebrun here at Diptera.info,

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2012-06-20.

Yet More Tephritid Flies

My first Xyphosia miliaria (Diptera: Tephritidae) of the year.  The one above is probably a male.  The one below is definitely a female,

The host plant for their larvae is normally a thistle (Cirsium sp).

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2012-06-20.

Another Tephritid Fly

A female Urophora quadrifasciata (Diptera: Tephritidae) on knapweed (Centaurea sp). 

With a wing length of only 2.5mm, these flies are noticably smaller than most other Tephritid flies.

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2012-06-17.