Second for Warwickshire identified from photograph at Morton Bagot

Although I am very experienced at bird, dragonfly, and butterfly identification, I am a total novice when it comes to other groups.

However, I do input my photographs into the irecord website https://www.brc.ac.uk where they can be peer reviewed by experts.

On the 4 June 2017 I submitted a photograph of a soldier fly which I had thought was Oxyura rara. Yesterday I received news that it was in fact a photograph of a different soldier fly called Flecked General Stratiomys singularior.

Stratiomys singularior

Excitingly, Martin Harvey of the soldier flies and their allies recording scheme says it is only the second record for Warwickshire, the last being in 1986. Apparently its long antennae show that the genus is Stratiomys, and the markings show it is singularior.

Given that this insect was found by complete accident, it makes you wonder how many other special insects occur here.