Diptera.info

Posted by Dmitry Gavryushin on 01-07-2006 09:22

3 specimens of different size were collected on various herbaceous plants.
I think I saw a couple of similar flies in the threads, but maybe an expert opinion is more welcome than my guesses. And I'm not so sure it's a single species (at least the eyes of the small one seem to be hairy).
First, the heads of all of the three (size ascending from left to right, small, 6.5-7mm, medium, 8mm, large, 9mm).

Edited by Dmitry Gavryushin on 01-07-2006 09:28

Posted by ChrisR on 01-07-2006 09:31

Hmm, it is early and I haven't had my cup of tea yet ... but I'd say all the heads are of different species or at least 2 species and possibly 2 sexes. The most significant feature is that the left head has hairy eyes, while the middle and right head have bare eyes. Left also has long ocellar bristles. I will have a cup of tea and try keying your big photo :)

Edited by ChrisR on 01-07-2006 09:31

Posted by Dmitry Gavryushin on 01-07-2006 09:36

OK Chris,
This time I did my best to make them show their katepisterna;).

Posted by ChrisR on 01-07-2006 09:39

That's great - thanks :) Can I also ask:
1. can you double-check #1 - does it have hairy eyes?
2. can you provide dorsal perspective photos? I would like to see the wing venation and scutellum a bit better

Posted by Dmitry Gavryushin on 02-07-2006 14:33

Chris, I'm attaching some dorsal views. First the small one, eyes definitely (partially) hairy.

Posted by Dmitry Gavryushin on 02-07-2006 14:34

#10

I'm not sure which one is 8mm and which one is 9mm (or maybe it's the same one...)

Posted by ChrisR on 02-07-2006 16:09

#12

Lovely photos - most tachinids need good lateral and dorsal photos like this, unless they posess a unique and really visible feature. :)

Fly A is a difficult one - it doesn't go through the UK key and it has a combination of features that I haven't seen in any UK species - hairs on R4+5 to r-m, very divergent apocal scutellar bristles and hairy eyes. The closest I can get is Lecanipa, which Nikita found a few weeks ago.
Fly B & C look like Lydella (stabulans?) (male & female, in that order)

Hope that helps a bit ... lets wait for Theo to confirm Fly A though ;)

Posted by Zeegers on 06-08-2006 12:12

#14

I agree with the first one: Lecanipa bicincta.
Great call by Chris, given the fact that this species does not occur in the UK.
The second and third one have reddish tip to scutellum, so they cannot be Lydella (scutellum completely black).
If the eyes are hairy, which seems to be the case, I would say: Phryxe.

Theo