Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Teichrandschwebfliege (Parhelophilus versicolor or frutetorum)?

Posted by Sundew on 26-10-2016 23:36
#5

I think no-one replied because the species are tricky. Ball & Morris (2013) write: "These two species are very difficult to separate, especially the females. Determining the sex is also difficult ... - the best way to check is to look for a genital capsule; the abdomen of females is tapered." The males can be told apart by a long-haired tubercle underneath the hind femur in P. frutetorum, which lacks in P. versicolor. But this character is not helpful in our case. The text above is not a "key", as no alternatives are given, but a description of characters of one species; the other might look similar. In http://www.natur-...-322.html# it is stated that the hairs on the vertex of P. versicolor are entirely yellow, whereas in P. frutetorum there are yellow plus black hairs. The vertex of your fly seems to be rather dark, so black hairs might be present. However, if even Menno Reemer doesn't dare to decide in http://www.dipter...d_id=39004, I do not either...
Regards, Sundew

Edited by Sundew on 26-10-2016 23:37