Thread subject: Diptera.info :: 1 mm long Sphaeroceridae, NE HU, Oct > Scuttle Phoridae, Metopina!
Posted by pwalter on 26-10-2009 13:16
#1
Hi, this weekend I found this small Sphaero (1.2 mm) on housewall. Wing is a bit broken. Can it be IDd?
Edited by pwalter on 26-10-2009 13:22
Posted by pwalter on 26-10-2009 13:17
#2
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Posted by pwalter on 26-10-2009 13:18
#3
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Edited by pwalter on 26-10-2009 13:20
Posted by pwalter on 26-10-2009 13:21
#4
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Posted by phil withers on 26-10-2009 13:21
#5
This is a phorid :
Metopina
Posted by pwalter on 26-10-2009 13:23
#6
Suprising:) When I take the wing and legs without spikes now I also see it is a Phorid! Thanks!
Posted by pwalter on 01-11-2009 23:15
#7
Hi, I made some genitalia fptps, not good sadly. Can someone ID this specimen? It would be really interesting!
Posted by pwalter on 01-11-2009 23:15
#8
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Posted by phil withers on 01-11-2009 23:23
#9
Genitalia are not helpful with
Metopina: you need to mount the abdomen ventral side uppermost, and the hind leg posterior face uppermost. Then I can tell you what species it is...perhaps.
Posted by pwalter on 01-11-2009 23:27
#10
Thanks, than there's no chance, The abdomen is quite destroyed... :( Maybe next time!
Posted by pwalter on 07-11-2009 11:38
#11
I forgot to ask if this is also true for other Phorids, that male genitalia preparations are not enough?
Posted by KWQ on 07-11-2009 17:39
#12
In my opinion it really varies with regard to genera, but generally it seems that
Phoridae is perhaps the toughest nut to crack of all European fly families.
Yet there are some slightly easier genera included like
Anevrina,
Borophaga, perhaps
Diplonevra etc. where not all species require any genital studies.
This was my first glimpse of a
Metopina!
Disney (1983, 1989 etc.) recommends genital-slide technique in families like
Megaselia and
Phora. Has anyone here tried that method? I find
Phora a very difficult genus, no matter in which position you try to place the genitals. As to
Megaselia the problem is mainly the huge size of the family, there is such a great amount of undescribed species. I.e. I have heard a rumour that there would be more than 500
Megaselias in Sweden! But you can occasionally spot one or two characteristic ones also in that mega-family.
Posted by phil withers on 07-11-2009 22:39
#13
I routinely slide-mount all Phoridae, and am able to identify 90% of non-
Megaselia with confidence (the proportion of
Megaselia is more like 9%). It wouldn't surprise me in the least if there were at least that many
Megaselia in Sweden; not a country reknowned for phoridologists. As to genitalia mounts, phorids are quite kind in terms of orientation: the abdomen generally lies nicely lateral (as required for all but
Metopina); when the genitalia have cleared somewhat, most of the structures are readily visible -
Phora is then relatively easy...Relatively.
Posted by pwalter on 07-11-2009 22:49
#14
Dear Phil, do You mount the specimen as a whole?
Posted by phil withers on 08-11-2009 00:57
#15
Yes, under two coverslips, one for the genitalia and a wing, the other for the rest (having first separated a hind leg).
Posted by pwalter on 08-11-2009 10:32
#16
Thanks for both of You!