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I found some specimens of Terellia sp. in a thistle. They were very agitated and busy:). I think they could be Terellia serratulae, is that correct?
I made a small video ;):

http://www.youtub...B6w&fmt=18

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You are right. Terellia serratulae L. (it is a complex of species, but probably it is serratulae itself) Wonderful pictures! Do you know also the thistle species?

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Thank you Valery:).



Unfortunately no:(. But I would love to know how to identify the commonest species of thistles. Is there any good forum to id plants?

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YES. infojardin. you never appeared there anymore. :P

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Well, I think infojardin is a little bit confusing because it's difficult to track the threads and they don't allways answer.

It was the first time I really paid more attention to the courtship of tephritids. I thought it was very interesting the way the males pointed the pheromone sacs towards the females. The males allways pointed the sac that was on the female's side. As shown in the video, as soon as the female ran away the inflated sac deinflated:).

Valery I think that, by comparing photos on the net, the thistle belongs to the genus Cirsium.

One more photo:

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>the thistle belongs to the genus Cirsium.

Typically, Terellia serratulae is associated with Carduus nutans and allied species, whereas T. longicauda Meigen feeds on Cirsium eriophorum. The female on the picture has ovipositor 2/3 as long as in T. longicauda, and almost as long as in T. serratulae.

There are several serratulae-like populations of uncertain status over Europe and Central Asia, which need revision including a lot of morphometry, electrophoresis, DNA-sequencing, etc. to clarify their status. I am keeping to accumulate these data still, so maybe some day...

But so far - it must be treated as T. sp. cf. serratulae.

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Ok, thank you once more.