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 Platycheirus sp?
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| blowave |
Posted on 07-12-2008 02:52
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 Member Location: LINCOLN, UK Posts: 3151 Joined: 27.06.07 |
HI! This one has a face which reminds me of Platycheirus but I haven't found anything like it. It was very small, flying onto the centre of Clematis 'Juuli' which has quite small flowers. 21st July, Lincoln UK. Any help appreciated, thanks!  2 pics. Janet blowave attached the following image:  [103.51Kb] |
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| blowave |
Posted on 07-12-2008 02:53
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Member Location: LINCOLN, UK Posts: 3151 Joined: 27.06.07 |
Pic 2
blowave attached the following image:  [109.47Kb] |
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| Andre |
Posted on 10-12-2008 23:04
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 Member Location: Tilburg, the Netherlands Posts: 2111 Joined: 18.07.04 |
These pics are too confusing :-S |
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| blowave |
Posted on 11-12-2008 00:55
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Member Location: LINCOLN, UK Posts: 3151 Joined: 27.06.07 |
Lol, for me too Andre! Is it the pics or the fly which are confusing?  |
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| Paul Beuk |
Posted on 11-12-2008 09:14
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 Super Administrator Location: Netherlands Posts: 19363 Joined: 11.05.04 |
Melanostoma dubium? (Pun intended.)
Paul - - - - Paul Beuk on https://diptera.info |
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| blowave |
Posted on 12-12-2008 01:45
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Member Location: LINCOLN, UK Posts: 3151 Joined: 27.06.07 |
Thanks for the suggestion Paul! Yes, good one, pun Obviously I don't have a clue, but the shape does suggest Melanostoma. Funny though that I had found a mention of M. dubium as being an upland species, being the same as Melanostoma mellinum when searching for that, but above 460m in north and western Britain. I'm in the Midlands and around 80m at a guess. As I had one which I thought was Melanostoma mellinum, perhaps it's a melanic form of that? I found a paper on this, I guess you have already seen it. http://www.malloc...DUBIUM.pdf After reading some of the pdf I see why the pun! Some specimens collected turned out to be Platycheirus sp.!  "With regard to the separation of female M. dubium from the not infrequent melanic form of M. mellinum, Andersson gives the character of a divided tergite 8 in the former whilst in M. mellinum this tergite is in one piece. This represents the first definite taxanomic character in the distinction of the two species" Janet |
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| Andre |
Posted on 12-12-2008 10:12
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Member Location: Tilburg, the Netherlands Posts: 2111 Joined: 18.07.04 |
The quality of the pic I mean. Most probably it is a melanistic form of Melanostoma mellinum, which happens most often among female. |
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| blowave |
Posted on 12-12-2008 16:24
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Member Location: LINCOLN, UK Posts: 3151 Joined: 27.06.07 |
Thanks again Andre! This was one of those quick shots as it flew in and off again.  |
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| Andre |
Posted on 12-12-2008 19:51
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Member Location: Tilburg, the Netherlands Posts: 2111 Joined: 18.07.04 |
That's what they do |
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| blowave |
Posted on 12-12-2008 20:43
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Member Location: LINCOLN, UK Posts: 3151 Joined: 27.06.07 |
Oh, yes, so they do! |
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