This little beauty is one of the Tephritidae, the fruit flies, and its name is Merzomyia westermanni. As I’m sure you all know by now, flies can be tricky to identify but, fortunately, the patterns on the wings of this creature are unique so, as long as you get a clear photo of its wings, it can be recorded with confidence. Even better, in my brief experience of this species – I’ve only seen them twice, they are more settled, more confiding than many fly species so getting a photo is less difficult. Look for these fruit flies in grassland, particularly around the Ragwort flowers they favour.