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Hi all!

Odontomyia I think. But which one? On Google pic search I find Odontomyia hydroleon as best match. Is it that one?

If anyone has an idea about that microscopic fly (?) next to the main character's forefoot on the first pic, please tell me, too.

Approx. 8-10 mm.

16.7.2022, Germany, Upper Bavaria, near the summit of Mt. Hochfelln, ~1640m asl, coordinates 47.76140, 12.55946

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2nd pic

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3rd pic

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last pic

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The microscopic fly is a microscopic wasp.

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Very interesting. Looks indeed like hydroleon. This species has become extremely rare in western Europe. Could you please eloborate on the habitat .

Thanks

Theo

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@John: Thanks, I suspected that somehow, the eyes told me fly, the antennae wasp.

@Theo: Thanks! I'll do my best and apologize in advance for my poor ecological knowledge:

Geologically there is both limestone and dolomite. Altitude about 1640m, close to the summit. Botanically mainly grassland, closely replaced by mountain pines (and larch trees) from south over west to north. In the (rather large) summit area no cattle grazing, only lots of cable-car tourists around. Plenty of umbellifers (the fly was on Heracleum, AFAIR, but other species around). I have no idea which kind of grass society it is. The fly was on a spot protected by mountain pines.

The attached picture is from today and taken some dozen metres below the fly's location. The grass looks the same, only the umbellifers were on higher places.

This picture shows the location of the fly, which was about 20m left of the windsock in the middle of the pic:
https://d2exd72xrrp1s7.cloudfront.net/www/000/1k3/jv/jvci5m4d9xi51crfc4zi7yv0x31m96qfy-uhi6830406/0?width=3072&height=2304&crop=false&q=70

And this one should be taken from roughly that spot (10-20 m behind the photographer)
https://d2exd72xrrp1s7.cloudfront.net/www/000/1k1/1e/1e8bv1wcuhrha1kq2iuvu7bln0292mvv40-uhi1291174/0?width=3072&height=2304&crop=false&q=70

Aerial image with the exact location marked see next post.

I hope this may help you.

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https://geoportal.bayern.de/bayernatlas/?zoom=14&lang=de&topic=ba&bgLayer=luftbild_labels&E=766712.40&N=5295884.11&catalogNodes=11

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Thank you !

That is clearly not your average roadside :)


Theo

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You mention limestone and dolomite, so I suspect the presence of water is unlikely ? At sea level, hydroleon is a very “marshy” species.

Theo

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There is no open water or swamp directly on the summit.

But thanks dolomite it's not too karstic, and we have an extremely rainy region here, so not too far below there start rivers in all directions, watering the meadows around.

The next little real (little) bog that I know is "Eschelmoos", 1.6 km southwest.

More interesting maybe "Bergener Moos", 4km north, 1000 m lower.
And "Röthelmoos", 5,5 km south, 800 m lower.

In general, this is an area very rich of water and in the plain before the mountains (starting with the mentioned "Bergener Moos" ) there are plenty of swamps and lakes, as well as there are many spots between the mountains, that usually never fall totally dry.

Back to the fly: Can I take it as a safe O. hydroleon or do you have doubts about it, as "looks like" suggests?

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Thanks. Might be hilltopping (?)

As for the ID, I would gladly have used this pic for my Homeodactyla fieldguide (…. but it was send to the printer yesterday)


Theo

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So thanks for the ID!

About your fieldguide... bad timing, maybe for the next edition. :)

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Yes, tell me about it ! Exodontha was found new for Belgium the day after the print order was sent. !

We will store you offer in our memory !

Theo