Posted by Sundew on 02-09-2022 04:19
#1
Hi,
Yesterday I took pictures of a small dark Tachinid male with big white calypters that I consider a
Leucostoma. I know these can hardly be identified from photos, but I gave it a try with the key
https://tachinida...igures.pdf. The genus key says it has to be regarded as provisional, but nevertheless I got a match already with the first couplet: "Cheeks covered with hairs" versus "Cheeks bare, the parafrontal hairs reach only slightly below the frontal bristles". Though my picture series is rather poor quality (the
Achillea millefolium inflorescences swayed in the wind, and the fly was fast on them) I would not hesitate to chose the first option, as the cheeks (in other textbooks called parafacialia) seem to be very hairy. In this case I would already have reached a species, namely the rare
L. meridianum. It can be found in "Southern Europe, individuals also in warmer Central Europe" - in this summer Baden-Württemberg was clearly belonging to hot Central Europe! So how likely is my identification? Up to now I knew only
L. simplex, which has bare cheeks. I am very curious to hear your opinion!
Thanks in advance, Sundew
Edited by Sundew on 06-09-2022 01:01
Posted by Zeegers on 03-09-2022 16:58
#4
I totally agree, it is one of the hairy-faced Leucostoma’s. L. semibarbata is another option. I am currently not sure how to separate the males. In any case, a spectacular find !
Theo
Posted by Zeegers on 03-09-2022 17:08
#5
Semibarbata has actually bare parafacial .... so that is easy.
Implying thus is meridianum
Posted by Sundew on 06-09-2022 01:00
#6
Many thanks for the confirmation! Meanwhile I read in
http://www.nadsdi...edberg.pdf that there are already some records of the species for Germany. With the global warming surely many south European species are spreading northwards.