Diptera.info :: Identification queries :: Diptera (adults)
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 Tachinid ?
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| Sandy |
Posted on 02-06-2010 01:07
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Member Location: South-east Scotland Posts: 129 Joined: 27.07.07 |
What genus does this fly belong to? I photographed it a few weeks ago on a butterbur leaf by a stream. Apologies for the photo quality !
Sandy attached the following image:  [153.56Kb] |
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| Rui Andrade |
Posted on 02-06-2010 02:06
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 Member Location: Portugal Posts: 3122 Joined: 19.06.07 |
Leucophora sp. (Anthomyiidae). http://www.qub.ac...660,en.pdf |
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| pierred |
Posted on 02-06-2010 05:47
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 Member Location: Paris (France) Posts: 1413 Joined: 21.04.05 |
Hi, Don't you think it could be Metopia argyrocephala, with such a whitish beak? Pierre Duhem |
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| Galeodes33 |
Posted on 02-06-2010 08:33
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Member Location: Madagascar Posts: 49 Joined: 28.05.10 |
Yes, it does look like it. |
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| Sundew |
Posted on 02-06-2010 11:44
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 Member Location: Berlin and Baden-Württemberg, Germany Posts: 3890 Joined: 28.07.07 |
No Metopia, wing venation is different (there must be a strong bend in the m vein in Sarcophagids), and the white part of the face ends below the males' frons that is also much broader in Metopia. Look at the good pic in the gallery (http://www.dipter...to_id=2197)! Leucophora is ok. |
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| Sandy |
Posted on 02-06-2010 20:38
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Member Location: South-east Scotland Posts: 129 Joined: 27.07.07 |
Thanks all So it's a "satellite" fly which parasitises the nest of solitary bees by following the female bee home. Very interesting! |
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| Sundew |
Posted on 02-06-2010 23:05
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Member Location: Berlin and Baden-Württemberg, Germany Posts: 3890 Joined: 28.07.07 |
Yeah, recently I watchend one following a bee. The bee dug herself in very quickly and disappeared before I could take a photo. She did so head foremost. Then came Leucophora and dug at exactly the same place, the bee still within and not visible. The fly dug abdomen tip foremost and disappeared only half in the sand. She was irritated by my presence, however, and I do not know whether she put an egg in the sand or not. Well, these solitary bees have a lot of cuckoos and parasites; it is surprising that nevertheless there are still many of them seen in each spring! Regards, Sundew Sundew attached the following image:  [187.39Kb] |
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| Rui Andrade |
Posted on 02-06-2010 23:51
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Member Location: Portugal Posts: 3122 Joined: 19.06.07 |
I have a video of this satellite behaviour. Not a very good one because they are very difficult to follow. YouTube Video |
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| Sandy |
Posted on 04-06-2010 07:09
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Member Location: South-east Scotland Posts: 129 Joined: 27.07.07 |
Thanks for that guys! Fascinating stuff and something to watch out for next time I'm out! Are metopias also satellite flies? I photographed some of what I assume were metopias yesterday in a sandpit. There were also many solitary bees present but the flies were merely sunning, mating etc and I didn't see any bee-related behaviour. |
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| Sundew |
Posted on 04-06-2010 20:35
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Member Location: Berlin and Baden-Württemberg, Germany Posts: 3890 Joined: 28.07.07 |
Several species of Sarcophagidae-Miltogramminae are! See, e. g., http://www.dipter...d_id=23319, http://www.dipter...d_id=14087, or http://www.jstor....s/25084740. |
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| Sandy |
Posted on 05-06-2010 08:42
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Member Location: South-east Scotland Posts: 129 Joined: 27.07.07 |
Ok, I'll start a new thread on these flies. |
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