Picture-winged Fly
10th September 2008, Wednesday 
This photo, hugely enlarged, shows a tiny but very striking-looking fly, Tephritis formosa, that was found in my moth trap in Rye on Sunday. Chris at Rye Harbour kindly identified it for me and took the photo. It’s one of the family of picture-winged flies (Tephritidae), a few of which are illustrated on page 209 of Chinery’s Collins Pocket Guide to Insects. The larvae form galls in various composite flower heads. It’s not uncommon, with about 10 records from the local area. Chris referred me to an excellent website www.diptera.info/news.php for a gallery of photos and much more.