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 Wedding dance of Hydrellia
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| Nikita Vikhrev |
Posted on 13-07-2006 17:44
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 Member Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 9305 Joined: 24.05.05 |
Moscow region, 13 july, 1,5mm, on fallen on pond leaf. All dance from meeting till copulation takes 20-30 seconds. Pair was collected afterwards so I hope to ID species. Nikita Vikhrev attached the following image:  [49.34Kb] Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University |
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| Nikita Vikhrev |
Posted on 13-07-2006 17:49
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Member Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 9305 Joined: 24.05.05 |
Hydrellia sp.
Nikita Vikhrev attached the following image:  [30.86Kb] Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University |
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| Tony Irwin |
Posted on 13-07-2006 20:05
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 Member Location: Norwich, England Posts: 7221 Joined: 19.11.04 |
Great series of photos! As well as the distinct "lunule" above the antennae, many species of Hydrellia have bright silver or gold faces. Your photos show the importance of head-to-head meetings, when the face colour will be used to aid species recognition. The bright yellow halteres often appear to be used during these dances too. Everything has a function - even if we haven't discovered what it is yet! 
Tony ---------- Tony Irwin |
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| Nikita Vikhrev |
Posted on 13-07-2006 20:15
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Member Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 9305 Joined: 24.05.05 |
Thank you Tony. According your lesson I choised male and tried to key it. Palp yellow, cx black, antennae 3-d - yellow, T5=T4, thorax metallic. Hydrellia flavicornis? Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University |
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| Kahis |
Posted on 13-07-2006 20:48
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 Member Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 1999 Joined: 02.09.04 |
Who knows. There is no key (well, no key I know of) covering all central european Hydrellia  . Personally I name names only after checking male genitalis - and no figures are available for some species, making even this a bit risky. The old key of Nartchuk in Bei-Bieko is not reliable.
Kahis |
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| Tony Irwin |
Posted on 13-07-2006 21:03
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Member Location: Norwich, England Posts: 7221 Joined: 19.11.04 |
Got to agree with Kahis - I will not identify Hydrellia positively except by examining male genitalia. (There's every possibility of turning up new species.) If you can dissect out the genitalia and clear them, then get a good microscope shot, post the picture and we'll check it against the available drawings. You might very well be right with your identification, but I think it's best to check the genitalia every time. 
Tony ---------- Tony Irwin |
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| Nikita Vikhrev |
Posted on 13-07-2006 21:18
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Member Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 9305 Joined: 24.05.05 |
Thank you Kahis and Tony. I'll show collected couple to Marina Krivosheina  Nikita Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University |
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| Nikita Vikhrev |
Posted on 07-11-2006 19:11
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Member Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 9305 Joined: 24.05.05 |
Dancing couple ID by collected flies by Marina Krivosheina as Hydrellia albilabris. Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University |
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| Stephen |
Posted on 07-11-2006 20:56
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 Member Location: West Virginia USA Posts: 1322 Joined: 12.04.05 |
Yes, I agree, a very nice series documenting this interesting behavior. Nikita, can you post a photo of the face?
--Stephen Stephen Cresswell www.americaninsects.net |
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| Nikita Vikhrev |
Posted on 07-11-2006 21:38
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Member Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 9305 Joined: 24.05.05 |
No, I can't or I can, but of Hydrellia sp. Nikita Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University |
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