A medium sized (3.5-4mm) ‘picture-winged’ barkfly. Scarce in Britain.
The forewing of both sexes has a characteristic pattern of distinct patches. Only Philotarsus species have the colourless area at the end of the pterostigma cell.
There is a rectangular brown patch on the upperside of the abdomen. The pale areas within the patch usually form two longitudinal stripes (cf. P. parviceps). The stripes are not always distinct.
Female
The side lobes of the subgenital plate are almost rectangular and don’t narrow in the middle (cf. P. parviceps). Compare with similar species
