Diptera.info :: Identification queries :: Diptera (adults)
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 Scatophagidae?
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| Alvesgaspar |
Posted on 19-04-2010 20:03
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 Member Location: Lisbon, Portugal Posts: 573 Joined: 24.08.07 |
From the body shape, wing venation and spikes on the legs I would say it is a Scatophagidae. Am I right? Found today in Lisbon, about 8mm long. Joaquim Alvesgaspar attached the following image:  [109.96Kb] |
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| Alvesgaspar |
Posted on 19-04-2010 20:03
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Member Location: Lisbon, Portugal Posts: 573 Joined: 24.08.07 |
... another view
Alvesgaspar attached the following image:  [118.64Kb] |
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| jorgemotalmeida |
Posted on 19-04-2010 20:52
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 Member Location: Viseu - PORTUGAL Posts: 9295 Joined: 05.06.06 |
Scathophaga stercoraria. Wait for confirmation. |
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| Alvesgaspar |
Posted on 19-04-2010 21:13
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Member Location: Lisbon, Portugal Posts: 573 Joined: 24.08.07 |
What puzzled me is that these flies are supposed to feed on dung, not pollen ... |
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| Roger Thomason |
Posted on 19-04-2010 21:27
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 Member Location: Mossbank,Shetland Isles. Posts: 5254 Joined: 17.07.08 |
Alvesgaspar wrote: What puzzled me is that these flies are supposed to feed on dung, not pollen ... Only the larva eat dung...  http://en.wikiped...hophagidaeJorge is correct...unusually  Regards Roger Edited by Roger Thomason on 19-04-2010 21:29 |
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| tim worfolk |
Posted on 19-04-2010 21:59
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 Member Location: Devon, England Posts: 737 Joined: 05.05.09 |
I thought that the larvae predated other insect larvae in the dung? Tim |
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| Rui Andrade |
Posted on 19-04-2010 22:56
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 Member Location: Portugal Posts: 3122 Joined: 19.06.07 |
tim worfolk wrote: I thought that the larvae predated other insect larvae in the dung? I believe Tim is correct. Adults, besides visiting flowers, are also predators. Below there's a photo I took today of a specimen feeding on a poor Phasia sp. (Tachinidae)
Rui Andrade attached the following image:  [111.94Kb] |
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| Roger Thomason |
Posted on 19-04-2010 23:09
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Member Location: Mossbank,Shetland Isles. Posts: 5254 Joined: 17.07.08 |
Of course Tim is right, it says in the Wiki article that they prey on insect larvae within the dung....But ever tried eating a bit of chicken in a chicken curry without also eating some of the "sauce"  Unless they are very picky eaters I assume they eat some of the dung also....clutching at straws here...Roger....desperately digging myself out of the shit....AGAIN  |
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| tim worfolk |
Posted on 20-04-2010 07:27
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Member Location: Devon, England Posts: 737 Joined: 05.05.09 |
'Tim is right...' usually with an 'a' and usually followed by something insulting; never on it's own - although I like the sound of it, maybe I'll have it put on a t-shirt. Healey's First Law of Holes: 'when in one, stop digging'. Tim |
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| Alvesgaspar |
Posted on 20-04-2010 10:20
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Member Location: Lisbon, Portugal Posts: 573 Joined: 24.08.07 |
Thanks to all of you. Sometimes reality contradicts Occam's Razor and things are a bit more complicate than they seem... Nice action photo, Rui. When I grow up I want to be able to take them also! |
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