Herina merzi is a species of picture-winged fly

Picture-winged fly

Ulidiidae is a large and diverse cosmopolitan family, and, as in related families, most species are herbivorous or saprophagous. They are often known as picture-winged flies, along with members of other families in the superfamily Tephritoidea that have patterns of bands or spots on the wings...

 known only from Merishausen

Merishausen

Merishausen is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.-Geography:Merishausen has an area, , of . Of this area, 30.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 65.6% is forested...

 in the canton of Schaffhausen

Canton of Schaffhausen

The Canton of is a canton of Switzerland. The principal city and capital of the canton is Schaffhausen.- History:Schaffhausen was a city-state in the Middle Ages, documented to have struck its own coins starting in 1045. It was then known as Villa Scafhusun. Around 1049 Count Eberhard von...

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. It is a mostly dark-coloured insect with shining-black abdomen and brownish-black thorax

Thorax (insect anatomy)

The thorax is the mid section of the insect body. It holds the head, legs, wings and abdomen. It is also called mesosoma in other arthropods....

 and legs

Arthropod leg

The arthropod leg is a form of jointed appendage of arthropods, usually used for walking. Many of the terms used for arthropod leg segments are of Latin origin, and may be confused with terms for bones: coxa , trochanter , femur, tibia, tarsus, ischium, metatarsus, carpus, dactylus ,...

. The head is more colourful with a reddish-yellow frons

Frons

Frons is the term used to describe the frontal area of an insect's head. It covers the upper part of the face above the clypeus and below and between the antennae. It supports the pharyngeal dilator muscles and usually bears an ocellus . The term itself is derived from the Latin frons "forehead"....

. The wings

Insect wing

Insects are the only group of invertebrates known to have evolved flight. Insects possess some remarkable flight characteristics and abilities, still far superior to attempts by humans to replicate their capabilities. Even our understanding of the aerodynamics of flexible, flapping wings and how...

 are marked with three incomplete dark cross-bands and an isolated dark spot.

This insect, first found in 2001, surprisingly, appears to be more closely related to congeners from the Indomalaya ecozone rather than other Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an species. The location of the type locality, far from airport

Airport

An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

s and major cities, suggests accidental introduction is unlikely. The specific name merzi is in honour of the entomologist Bernhard Merz.