Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Which Xylota? (2+2 pics)

Posted by Rupert Huber on 18-07-2009 19:53
#1

Hello to all!
Are these both Xylota segnis?
Their sizes were between 12 and 15mm.
The female made a very nervous impression, changing flowers every few seconds and disappearing soon.
The male as one knows them ran around on the leaves, to my benefit having some breaks, so that I could take some pics.

11 July 2009, Austria, Salzburger Land, Russbach am Pass Gschütt, about 860m asl

Greetings
Rupert

1st (female)

Edited by Rupert Huber on 18-07-2009 19:54

Posted by Rupert Huber on 18-07-2009 19:53
#2

2nd (female)

Posted by Rupert Huber on 18-07-2009 19:54
#3

3rd (male)

Posted by Rupert Huber on 18-07-2009 19:55
#4

4th (male)

Posted by lagura on 19-07-2009 01:14
#5

The first two I don't know, but #3 and 4 is X. segnis.

Posted by pierred on 19-07-2009 08:42
#6

Xylota segnis is always found on leaves.

Posted by Rupert Huber on 19-07-2009 13:08
#7

Thanks to both of you!
For #3 and 4 I had only the doubts of one who made the experience to be wrong when being sure;)

@Pierre: Yes, except for having lunch, as I suppose, so I think this should not exclude it for the one on pics #1 and 2.

Greetings
Rupert

Posted by pierred on 19-07-2009 16:52
#8

Rupert,

I have read that they feed on pollen deposited on leaves by the wind.

Posted by Andre on 20-07-2009 16:51
#9

Nrs 1 and 2 need to be collected for a solid ID.

Posted by Rupert Huber on 20-07-2009 20:48
#10

Andre wrote:
Nrs 1 and 2 need to be collected for a solid ID.

So that's why it was so nervous, but it was lucky enough that it was only me who takes nothing but pictures ;)

Can you narrow down the range a bit... with the reddish front part of the abdomen and the legs' colour I think I can exclude all of those with pictures in the "Kormann" and in the gallery here (except segnis), so that from the Bavarian list remain abiens, florum, and tarda. For Austria I couldn't find a list, but the location was not very far away from Bavaria (30 kms east), so that there shouldn't be many more species.


pierred wrote:
I have read that they feed on pollen deposited on leaves by the wind.

Could be, if they don't need too much energy. Kormann writes in his book (which actually lied to me more than once till now) that they (X. segnis) sometimes visit Angelica, Rubus, Ranunculus and Euphorbia, but nothing about Apiaceae, as mine did here.
So the location actually might be a hint away from segnis.

Thank you so far and best greetings
Rupert

Posted by Andre on 21-07-2009 09:55
#11

Kormann probably is talking about the flowers, not the leaves. Segnis can be found on many surfaces.

About 1 and 2: tarda seems a good candidate, because the spots look reddish and devided into spots, rather than bands like in segnis. Also the spines on the hind femur look small instead of long (long in segnis).
Hope this helped a bit?

Posted by Rupert Huber on 21-07-2009 12:20
#12

Thank you very much, Andre!
This is much more than I hoped for. So I'm gonna take it as X. cf. tarda

Andre wrote:
Kormann probably is talking about the flowers, not the leaves.

Sure, that was what I was writing about, but perhaps not expressed clearly enough. And it was already about #1 and 2, being on the flower of an Apiaceae, what might give a hint not to be segnis (now, of course, you gave the much better hints :) )

Concernig #3 and 4 there is not any doubt left for me that it's a segnis.

Thanks again and greetings
Rupert

Posted by Andre on 21-07-2009 13:38
#13

Good!!!