Stilt-legged Fly

Description:

Micropezidae sp. "The Micropezidae are a moderate-sized family of acalyptrate muscoid flies in the insect order Diptera, comprising about 500 species in about 50 genera and five subfamilies worldwide." Wikipedia. I have had great difficulty over the years with this and similar observations. There are a number of Stilt-legged Fly species that look almost identical and it becomes quite confusing. My first reaction was that this must be Gongylocephala pallida luzonica (Steyskal, 1952) because it looks like my pictures and after all, this is Luzon - so easy enough? Not so fast - how about Mimegralla albimana (Doleschall, 1856) they both look identical to my untrained eye.

Habitat:

I spotted this fly at the roadside where the road goes through a patch of forest, near a stream which passes under the road and runs into a mangrove a short distance away. This area is one of my "hotspots" for insect spottings. It is only a half hour walk from my house and it is always teaming with all manner of insect life.

Notes:

There are many websites which try to enlighten us on the subject of Stilt-legged Flies, but there are so many almost identical (if there is such a thing) species, that it is a minefield and it would be easy to make one's self look foolish by being too sure of an I.D. However, the following are helpful - A variety of similar pictures - https://bugguide.net/node/view/134/bgima... Gongylocephala pallida luzonica - https://bugguide.net/node/view/134/bgima...