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Japanagromyza viridula. Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC, USA.

Prescutellar acrostichal bristles present, 2 pairs of dorsocentral bristles. Frons not projecting above eye, matt black, lunule conspicuously silvery; 2 equal upper orbital bristles, 2 lower orbital bristles.

The Japanagromyza key is a bit confusing here. The couplet that separates J. viridula from inaequalis and aequalis claims that the mesonotum is greenish in inaequalis /aequalis, black in viridula. It also claims that the mesonotum of viridula is "moderately shining, with virtually no trace of metallic coloration." I think this specimen clearly has a greenish mesonotum, and the flash definitely brings out a hint of metallic coloration. However, I'm pretty sure this is viridula because inaequalis /aequalis don't occur this far north, and neither does their host plant. Maybe the greenish coloration isn't as obvious in museum specimens of this species.

This record applies to the prey - see associated record for the predator. The predator was photographed walking on the water surface of a muddy puddle in fynbos. I did not see it catch the prey and don't know the fate of the prey's head. It held on to the prey for a few minutes and eventually discarded it on the water surface.