Diptera.info :: Identification queries :: Diptera (adults)
 Life and death fly style
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| lynkos |
Posted on 21-11-2005 07:05
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Member Location: Rome, Italy Posts: 466 Joined: 20.06.05 |
The victim looks like a Drosophila, but I'm less sure about the predator. Could it be a Tachinidae? Thanks, Sarah |
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| Zeegers |
Posted on 21-11-2005 14:06
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Member Location: Soest, NL Posts: 19291 Joined: 21.07.04 |
Hi Sarah, From this view the fly looks remarkably like a Tachinid, but it can't be. A Tachinid would never (?) attack another fly. Moreover, the abdominal pattern does not ring a bell. So, it should be somewhere in Anthomyiidae / Muscidae. But it fooled me for some time, too ! Theo Zeegers |
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| Kahis |
Posted on 21-11-2005 14:56
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 Member Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 1999 Joined: 02.09.04 |
The 'headhunter' is a muscid (can't say anything definite about the genus  ). I think you are right about the prey being a drosophilid.
Edited by Kahis on 21-11-2005 14:57 Kahis |
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| lynkos |
Posted on 21-11-2005 16:47
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Member Location: Rome, Italy Posts: 466 Joined: 20.06.05 |
Thanks Theo and Kahis. I'm still very bad at distinguishing between Tachinidae, Anthomyiidae and Muscidae. I don't suppose there are any easy pointers that might help me  ? Sarah |
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| lynkos |
Posted on 21-11-2005 17:33
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Member Location: Rome, Italy Posts: 466 Joined: 20.06.05 |
Could it be Coenosia attenuata? Sarah |
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| Zeegers |
Posted on 21-11-2005 21:50
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Member Location: Soest, NL Posts: 19291 Joined: 21.07.04 |
Hi Sarah The question to your answer Anthomyiidae / Tachinidae is really very simple: nearly all Tachinidae have vein M in wing strongly curved upwards (as in both Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae) hardly any Muscidae (Musca, Neomyia, ...) and no Anthomyiidae have this feature: all vein M straight. But one can't see the wing venation in the picture, alas Theo |
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| lynkos |
Posted on 22-11-2005 07:13
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Member Location: Rome, Italy Posts: 466 Joined: 20.06.05 |
Thanks Theo. Next time I'll try and take at least one picture with the wing venation showing so I can study it with calm, Sarah |
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| Martin Suvak |
Posted on 15-02-2007 12:59
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Member Location: Slovakia Posts: 51 Joined: 02.11.06 |
Details of chaetotaxy are not visible but considering its coloration (especially legs) it could be a male of Cenosia tigrina, Muscidae. Martin |
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