Posted by Rui Andrade on 17-11-2022 02:04
#1
Hi,
I post this photo at the request of Michael von Tschirnhaus.
location: Estarreja (Portugal)
date: 28/08/2016
Edited by Rui Andrade on 21-11-2022 00:53
Posted by von Tschirnhaus on 17-11-2022 19:27
#2
Chloropidae, Oscinellinae: Speccafrons halophila (Duda, 1933). Nice photo from a rare fly already provisionally and correctly identified by Rui Andrade! Different from most European Oscinellinae this small fly is densely haired, also on the eyes and scutellum, the latter with hairs along its edge, too. Without being familiar with our Oscinellinae, the description in published keys as „haired“ may easily be misundestood in this case awaiting much longer hairs. Actually worldwide ten valid species with four in the Palaearctic: costalis (Duda,1930), cypria Nartshuk, 1990, genavensis Merz, 2008, halophila and pallidinervis (Becker, 1911). The genus is characterised by the large semiglobous surstyli, the species was repeatedly published as Oscinella pratensis (Meigen), Conioscinella frontella (Fallén) or included in the genus Kurumemyia and also misspelled as „halofila“. Becker (1910: 166, footnote for pratensis; Archivum zoologicum 1(10): 33-174) was the first author to record larval development in spider cocoons).
Posted by John Carr on 17-11-2022 20:26
#3
The genus is named for the black-spotted frons of the North American type species
Speccafrons mallochi. I can not see if this fly has spots.