That 70s Fly - Azelia cilipes

Azelia cilipes, m.
Dalgety Bay, Fife
NT1683
29/11/17
From: sunny tree trunk
NOFI status: Aberdour
NBN: Scattered UK, 33 records Scotland, 0 Fife
Distribution: Holarctic (MCE)

With a beautiful suede jacket and fringed hind tibia this lovely fly puts on the style. Skidmore notes it's around in Cornwall in December and MCE says it probably winters. Have to agree with that. It's a dung breeder with cow, pig and horse all in the frame. From the coastal path where I've seen horse dung pretty recently I'd plump for that option. Pigs are far away. Cows aren't too far though and Polietes lardarius was also around. You never know. When I have a chance I might pot some horse poo, but you have to pick your moments.

Dalgety Bay - winter flies

Might have been frost on the ground but the woods towards the chapel still had some sunny spots to offer to a host of flies. The chapel did too but there were too many people around and I ran out of pots!

A sweep of one tree netted half a dozen Polietes - I had only seen two before I swished the net. Also from a sunny trunk was a single Phaonia subventa. Calliphora vicina was the main fly on the chapel walls, though some smaller fare was also present.

Polietes lardarius - from one sweep!

Phanoia subventa female

Fannia pallitibia, Dalgety Bay, 21/11/17

Fannia pallitibia, f.
Dalgety Bay, Fife
NT1683
21/11/17
MV Light
NOFI status: Mountcastle Quarry
NBN: Mostly English but some northern
Described somewhere as a "typical autumn Fannia"

Helina impuncta, Calais Muir Wood, 18/11/17

Also from the week previous, one female taken at SW corner during half hour wander

Species: Helina impuncta (1f.)
Loc: Calais Muir Wood, Dunfermline
Grid: NT1286
Date: 18/11/17
Habitat: birch part of mixed woodland
NOFI status: "widespread"