Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Muscidae or Anthomyiidae? (again...)
Posted by Juergen Peters on 19-04-2008 21:47
#1
Hello!
A fly from the house wall, northwest Germany, April-17. Length 6-7 mm. Possible to tell more...? Thanks!
Larger picture:
http://www.foto-u...6mm_M4.jpg
Posted by Juergen Peters on 19-04-2008 21:48
#2
Another picture.
Posted by Juergen Peters on 19-04-2008 21:48
#3
More lateral.
Posted by Stephane Lebrun on 19-04-2008 22:07
#4
Again a job for Michael...B)
Posted by Juergen Peters on 19-04-2008 22:45
#5
Hello, Stephan!
Stephane Lebrun wrote:
Again a job for Michael...B)
So it's Anthomyiidae ;), thanks!
Posted by Michael Ackland on 20-04-2008 09:49
#6
The second photo appears to show rather wide parafacials with numerous frontal setae. Only a guuess but this suggests Leucophora. The abdomen is rather cylindrical. I think the problem is that one needs to know the characters which will lead one to a genus or even a species, but most photographers don't know this, or they would be the experts!
If you want to know what these are, download my keys.
Posted by Juergen Peters on 20-04-2008 23:04
#7
Hello, Michael!
Michael Ackland wrote:
The second photo appears to show rather wide parafacials with numerous frontal setae. Only a guuess but this suggests Leucophora. The abdomen is rather cylindrical. I think the problem is that one needs to know the characters which will lead one to a genus or even a species, but most photographers don't know this, or they would be the experts!
If you want to know what these are, download my keys.
Many thanks! The problem is, that I am a layman, who has never worked with keys. In most cases I try to take photos from as many directions as possible, but sometimes this is difficult (especially if you don't know, which are important - as you noted). In these more difficult cases I'm even happy, if one of the experts can tell me the correct family. :)
Posted by Michael Ackland on 21-04-2008 09:32
#8
I think it is very laudable that so many photographers are taking pics of flies, and encouraging others to do so. I am very happy to comment on all the Anthomyiidae. As all my work is directed to putting a specific name on specimens, you will appreciate that it is slightly frustrating when I can't turn the photo round under a binocular microscope, and even chop off the end of the abdomen and make a preparation of the genitalia. 99% of all male anthomyiids have distinctive genitalia, which means that one can have 20 specimens which all look the same externally, on dissection 5 different species turn up!