CLOSED: Tachinid Fly, Tachina magnicornis or T. fera?

My fly looks like Tachina fera as on David Element's site

http://www.david.element.ukgateway.net/flies12miscellaneousflies1.htm

This French site has another called Tachina magnicornis which also looks like mine, the black pattern on the body being the same. Their Tachina fera doesn't have the wider pointed bits on the sides in the middle, I translated their explanation on Babel fish which goes:

"Another photograph of Tachina (fera) will make: differ from T.magnicornis by the abdominal dorsal black band not forming rhombuses! (photograph M.Chevriaux)-Tachina magnicornis, 12-15 mm"

Translated from:

"Autre photo de Tachina fera : diffère de T.magnicornis par la bande noire dorsale abdominale ne formant pas des losanges! (photo M.Chevriaux)-Tachina magnicornis, 12-15 mm (photo L.Weitten)

On this page:

http://aramel.free.fr/INSECTES15-51.shtml

When I googled for T magnicornis it was only this French site (plus one) which came up with pics., but this fly was here last year and many come from mainland Europe, more so in the hot year we had last year.

http://aolsearch.aol.co.uk/aol/image?invocationType=topsearchbox.imagehome&query=Tachina+magnicornis

This German site has a pic of T fera which looks like mine

http://www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/stuttgart/forschung/index.php?path=en%2Fentomologie%2FTschorsnig%2Fprojekte

But in general there are other T fera which have straighter sides to the black pattern! Some of these are probably wrong!

On this site the pattern on the back of T. fera swoops in a curved line down the back with no pointed bit in the middle, confirming what the French site has mentioned "not forming rhombuses"

http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/insects/calyptratae.htm

On this basis I'm going for Tachina magnicornis, what say thou?

Looks like a Fly to me .

Now only an Aussie would come out with that!

What would You call a fly without wings ?

Umm, a wingless fly?????????

No M8 .
A Walk .

Gee, that was a walk over!!!!

I'm now looking at web links with mention of Tachina magnicornis, it's a pollinator of orchids in Britain, with a range at least up to the Humber,

http://www.britainsorchids.fieldguide.co.uk/?PP=species_account&SPID=52&SHC=2&PSD=1

It has a mention on this site

http://tachinidae.org.uk/site/news.php

Quote:

"Watch out for Tachina magnicornis & Gymnosoma nudifrons

A few years ago I chatted recently to Theo Zeegers in Holland and he suggested that Tachina magnicornis might be worth looking out for in England. In Holland it occurs rarely on sandy heath in similar habitats to Gonia picea so he suggested it might be in locations such as Kent or the New Forest in August. "

I found another French site with some pics of both,

http://fauneflore06.site.voila.fr/pages/insecte/diptere_t.htm#Tachinidae

the description they give of T. magnicornis (translated)

"Insect with yellowish head, the femurs are black and the remainder of the legs jaune/rouge Parasite of the caterpillars of Imago cut worm visible from April at October on the flowers"

Description of T. fera

"Dipterous visible from April at September in the wet wood and places, Cheeks with yellow hairs, orange abdomen on with dimensions the Its larva attacks the caterpillars of many diurnal and night butterflies"

Looking for the extra clues in that, I see their pic of T fera has black legs!

Mine looks to have black femurs (the thigh) with the rest rouge/red! It also has a 'yellowish head' with yellow hairs behind the eyes. The reddish legs can be seen in pics on this site

http://aramel.free.fr/INSECTES15-51.shtml

I'm not certain where the cheeks are on T. fera, as it has yellow hairs on the cheeks but I would imagine they are at the front below the eyes.

Sufficient with the back pattern details I think to call it Tachina magnicornis!

I think some others have misidentified theirs as T. fera.

I have added Tachina magnicornis to BF and will close this, as I don't think any more information will be forthcoming and I am satisfied that it is this.

If anyone has any other comments please come forth!