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30 min of lunch break in Moscow park, 21 june, 12-14mm.
May be Spilomyia?

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Temnostoma angustistriatum ?

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Thank you Kvaak.
I checked fly (collected). According my key it has to be Temnostoma, but Temnostoma bombylans. Key is old, but species is still valid. And very siutable name indeed, with this Bombyliidae wings!
Nikita

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Hello,

Following van Veen's key, I also arrive to T. bombylans. On the other hand, it says that Spilomyia is superficially like Temnostoma, but with striped eyes.

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I also found that Spilomyia has long 3-d antenae segment.and curved top of A vein.

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Van Veen's key is not up-to-date for this genus. There is another species closely related to T. bombylans in Europe: T. angustistriatum. Here in Finland we have only the latter. Both species are quite rare in Scandinavia and at least T. angustistriatum seems to be bound to old aspen (Populus tremula) stands. Unfortunately I do not have any idea how to separate these species, I have to ask our local syrphidae gurus for help. It's not a fulltime job for them: T. angustistriatum is very rare in Finland with only 3-4 known recents records.

Here the only Temnostoma angustistriatum is my collection.

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In any case photos of this impressive syrphid may well be even commercially valuable as both species (bombylans and angustistriatum) are redlisted in some countries.

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If someone comes up with the difference and if it is visible in the pictures, let's add both to the Gallery. I can see that in these two individuals the abdominal markings in T. angustistriatum seem to be running more straight but maybe that just is individual variation.

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Hi,

On the following site you can find how to separate the two species:

http://home.hccne...n_key.html

Jan Willem

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So much attention to my modest fly!
I have to tell without all this information I brutaly collected this redlisted fly.
Sunday I'll try to find which species it is?
Thank you all, Nikita

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I think we don't need to worry about overcollecting flies yet. Especially in Russia:p Perhaps at some old-growth forest sites in Western Europe, but not in Russia.

Your country may have many collecting fly taxonomists, but I doubt you have the highest number of collectors per sqare kilometer. :D How many million km? of Russia are there per dipterist to cover?

But back to business: I understood that separating the Temnostoma species discussed here may not always be quite as easy as the key claims. There is also a systematic difference between males and females in the colourations, so be careful and compare only males with males and females with females.

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Here is a T. bombylans from Holland, 27-05-06.
Nikita's fly has black femur 3, this one has red femur 3.

Ben

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"I brutaly collected this redlisted fly"
" you don't need to worry about overcollecting flies yet"

If to tell without joke, I don't think there is reason to redlisted insectas at all. No reason in situation that 1000 person can distinguish it from wasp, and 10 person can ID species.
If they want to help fly, they should help park or other lanscape, it is the only sensible way, I think.
Nikita

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Thank you Ben. But in Krivosheina key the difference is in hind tibia.
My test it is doubtfull species.
It is right t3 (left - all yellow). I think it is T. bonbylans.
What do you think?
Or show the fly to Krivosheina herself?
Nikita

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Sorry, image.

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I think you are right Nikita,

The colour of the femora seems to be of no importance.

Ben


Thank you Ben. But in Krivosheina key the difference is in hind tibia.
My test it is doubtfull species.
It is right t3 (left - all yellow). I think it is T. bonbylans.
What do you think?
Or show the fly to Krivosheina herself?
Nikita

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Today I've got back my collected fly (and 100% same fly as at photos).
Lebel: Temnostoma bombylans, F, det. Nina Krivosheina 2006