Size: Approximately 4-5mm long.

Habitat: The knapweed ghost can be found in many settings, specifically around knapweed, musk thistle and safflower.

Distribution: Europe, north and east Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia.

UK Distribution: Mostly southern England, however, it has recently been identified in Scotland.

Rarity: Uncommon.

Description: Appears silver-grey in colour with a black, elongated tip to the abdomen. the thorax has dark bristles along with two dark spots on the scutellum. The legs are pale, and the large eyes are bright green. The wings are mostly clear, with some mottling to the outer and leading edges.

Distinguishing Features: At a glance, there are many similar species, such as Urophora quadrifasciata, Tephritis formosa and Trypetoptera punctuata, however, all of these species can be easily identified by the type of patternation on the wings. At a 1:1 ratio, this species is easily identifiable.

My experiences: The knapweed ghost first appeared to me in my father-in-laws garden. at the time I was unaware of its significance, simply thinking it was just another fly. It was only a week later when I encountered another in my parents garden, roughly six miles away. Both specimens seemed calm and were happy to sit for photographs. 

Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Arthropoda
Clade - Pancrustacea
Class - Insecta
Order - Diptera
Family - Tephritidae
Subfamily - Tephritinae
Tribe - Tephritini
Genus - Acanthiophilus
Species - Acanthiophilus heliacanthi