How to identify greenbottles in photos
There are a few greenbottle tachinids and one of them (Chrysosomopsis aurata) is incredibly rare so I thought it might be worth showing how to identify it from the others. It is on the wing in late summer so could be easy to confuse for commoner species:
- Hairy eyes and strong erect bristles on the abdomen – median discals and margins present?
- Flying in Spring with black palps; thorax and abdomen the same colour – Gymnocheta viridis
[fairly common on sunny tree trunks or fence posts] - Flying in Summer with yellow palps; thorax greenish and abdomen blueish – Chrysosomopsis aurata
[extremely rare – only a few UK records]
- Flying in Spring with black palps; thorax and abdomen the same colour – Gymnocheta viridis
- Bare eyes?
- One pair of post-sutural acrostichal bristles?
- Large, usually bluish-green fly with a bright yellow, broad face – Cynomya mortuorum
[an unusual species but seen fairly frequently] - Small shining green fly with no dusting; usually some gree on the face – Neomyia cornicina
[very commonly seen on flowers] - Medium-sized, dull-green fly with traces of white dusting at the front of the thorax – Eudasyphora cyanella
[very common]
- Large, usually bluish-green fly with a bright yellow, broad face – Cynomya mortuorum
- Two or three pairs of post-sutural acrostichal bristles?
- Lucilia sp.
[a few very common species, like caesar and sericata, but others are fairly rare]
- Lucilia sp.
- One pair of post-sutural acrostichal bristles?
I have deliberately left out genera like Bellardia as I think the green colour isn’t as shining and “greenbottleish” as the others. All comments appreciated – this is a first draft so probably has errors.
Chrysosomopsis aurata (Mike Kerry) Chrysosomopsis aurata (Mike Kerry) Gymnochaeta viridis (Chris Raper) Gymnochaeta viridis (Chris Raper) Lucilia sericata (Chris Raper) Lucilia sp. (Chris Raper) Cynomya mortuorum (Frank Vassen) Cynomya mortuorum covered with pollen (pudding4brains) Neomyia sp. (J.K. Lindsey) Eudasyphora cyanella (Gail Hampshire) Eudasyphora cyanella (Chris Raper)