Diptera.info

Posted by Sundew on 31-12-2007 21:09

Dear friends of the big Diptera community,
This thread is primarily thought to deliver my best wishes for 2008 to you all. May the new year bring manifold joy, symbolized by the many different flies that meet on one and the same plant (a Heracleum, Umbelliferae) to enjoy the sweet nectar!
Cordially, Sundew

Posted by Sundew on 31-12-2007 21:21

On the other hand, I'd like to know who is sitting on that inflorescence, though it is against the "one fly per thread" rule. I numbered the visitors, and here is my guess:
1. Eristalis pertinax / 2. Eristalis interrupta / 3. Sepsis spec. / 4. Graphomyia maculata / 5-7. Eristalis arbustorum / 8. Thaumatomyia cf. notata / 9 just a small fly...
The photo is one of hundreds taken on Usedom Island at the Baltic shore in summer that still wait for processing. You will see a lot of them in the next year! However, thanks to your help I am already able to name many of them myself. I look forward to further successful cooperation!
Sundew
PS. Of course, for ID I have close-up views of the single individuals. The upper pic is just a general view to show the diversity of visitors.

Edited by Sundew on 31-12-2007 21:26

Posted by Gerard Pennards on 31-12-2007 22:03

My best wishes for you all too!
I just got from the table and spent a few minutes on the comp.
Remarks:
Number 2 is a male Eristalis lineata.
Number 5 is a male Eristalis interrupta.
The rest seems to be Ok, I can't see number 9 well enough to put a name on it!
Greetings, and the best for a fly-rich 2008!
Gerard

Posted by ChrisR on 01-01-2008 12:08

I didn't even see #8 when I first looked! :o

Anyway, nothing bristly enough for me to comment on in the photo but Happy New Year and best wishes to you Sundew - and all on diptera.info :D

I spent the New Year coughing my lungs up in bed with flu and bad asthma!! Grrr ... the year can only get better from now! ;)

Posted by Sundew on 01-01-2008 15:20

1. Poor Chris - get well soon!
2. Thanks to all repliers!
3. #8 is very small, but I am rather convinced it is a chloropid (Gaurax or Thaumatomyia), dear Paul. See magnifications!
4. Dear Gerard, in the next reply I add another pic of #5-7 - are you sure #5 is another species? They look all so similar...
Regards, Sundew

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 01-01-2008 15:37

eristalis team. :D looks different in first tergite. Look at the black spot. They are clearly different.

4 looks Graphomyia maculata (Muscidae)

Posted by Gerard Pennards on 01-01-2008 17:15

Dear Sundew,
If the upper one in this last picture of the Eristalis team is the same individual as number 5 in the original picture, I stand corrected!
It indeed is also a male Eristalis arbustorum! ;)
Greetings,

Edited by Gerard Pennards on 01-01-2008 17:16

Posted by Paul Beuk on 01-01-2008 19:38

#10

LoL, why didn't you inlcude the blow-ups at the start? My Image Zoom extension of Firefox cannot provide details that are not there. :P