Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Conopidae, Conops strigatus (?), 02.10.15 --> Leopoldius calceatus, male (and female added below)

Posted by ThorstenRoeder on 03-10-2015 21:14
#1
Dear Forum!

Oct 2nd, 2015, northern upper rhine rift, Southwest Germany, garden, ivy blossoms, size estimated 10mm.

Marks key (http://home.hccne...onops.html) leads me to Conops strigatus. Do you agree? Is it a male?

(Pic 1 turned 90° left)

Thanks in advance for taking a look at this.
Best regards, Thorsten
Edited by ThorstenRoeder on 14-10-2015 14:52

Posted by ThorstenRoeder on 03-10-2015 21:16
#2
Pic 2, turned 90° right (with face view added)...

Posted by piros on 05-10-2015 22:45
#3
This is not Conops, its proboscis is too short. Leopoldius calceatum it is.
Greetings,
Henrik
Edited by piros on 05-10-2015 22:47

Posted by Zeegers on 06-10-2015 09:00
#4
By the way, an alternative key

http://waarneming.nl/download/Veldtabel_blaaskopvliegen_tel.pdf


Theo

Posted by ThorstenRoeder on 06-10-2015 15:44
#5
Dear Henrik!

Ah, I see, thanks a lot! My general problem in Conopidae until now always was to decide, what is a "short" snout and what is a "long" snout. Now it`s clear!
Now, after your correction I found the jizz in Marks key at Leopoldius calceatus: "Looks like Conops strigatus on first sight, but snout short". Well, the snout length made me fail and get to Conops instead of Leopoldius:-(

Dear Theo!

I also studied John`s key now. I admit, that I had not used it so far, though John sent me a link to it in august 2013, after he asked for one of my pics of Leopoldius signatus for his key. My encounters with members of this fly family are very, very rare.
(Leopoldius calceatus is not included in John`s key, because it does not appear in the Netherlands)


I add another view (large pic turned 90° left), where the shiny abdomen and the black abdominal hairs are visible (ok, cloudy, unfortunately), which Mark mentions for L. calceatus in his key.

And abdominal end in small pic makes it a male, right?

Best regards, Thorsten
Edited by ThorstenRoeder on 06-10-2015 15:49

Posted by piros on 06-10-2015 17:14
#6
Yes, it is a male, and you are right, it is calcatus, not calceatum...:)
Best regards,
Henrik
Edited by piros on 06-10-2015 17:17

Posted by ThorstenRoeder on 06-10-2015 18:47
#7
Thank you, Henrik, for confirming, that it`s a male!

Now, with all the help from you and Theo and the keys today I could find out, that my first Conopidae, seen on sept, 15th, 2010, must also be Leopoldius and not Conops! Those pics were really funny five years ago, without macro lens. It is a female, also looks like L. calceatus, but I guess, this cannot be determined with these bad pictures, right?

Best regards, Thorsten
Edited by ThorstenRoeder on 06-10-2015 19:24

Posted by ThorstenRoeder on 06-10-2015 19:25
#8
showing, that it´s a female...

Posted by piros on 06-10-2015 23:47
#9
Yes, I think it is a female L. calceatus :-)

Posted by ThorstenRoeder on 07-10-2015 10:17
#10
Great!, Thanks again, Henrik! So seen twice within 5 years, just for a few seconds each. That`s why I adore people, who find out facts about life cycle of this kind of insects, about the parasitized species and all that things. What a puzzle of hard-working observations is the background of such collected information!

Best regards, Thorsten