Diptera.info

Posted by Stephen R on 07-01-2010 02:42

July 20, Lancashire UK.
Another male, but again only one photo. Perhaps it will be enough for the genus? My uneducated guess from the Gallery is Delia sp., though it doesn't look hairy enough for D. radicum. D. platura looks more plausible, but I don't suppose my photo shows enough features. Am I close?

Edited by Stephen R on 07-01-2010 15:44

Posted by Stephen R on 07-01-2010 14:24

Thank you Lars. I didn't expect to get any closer than that :) I'll try to get more useful photos next season. OK, I know I should start collecting, but I think I am temperamentally too disorganised :|

Posted by Stephen R on 07-01-2010 15:41

I've just found another photo from 8 days later which looks very much the same. Don't suppose it changes anything, but I'll post it anyway:

EDIT: I looked in my diary and found that this was taken in Northumberland (the first in Lancashire). Don't think I took it with me.

Edited by Stephen R on 07-01-2010 15:46

Posted by javanerkelens on 08-01-2010 00:35

Egle sp...(I think)
(calypters same and head seems longer then high and mouth somewhat protruding

Joke:)

Posted by Stephen R on 08-01-2010 01:59

Thanks yet again, Joke!

I found this abstract via Google: http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/z02043p076f.pdf
It seems to suggest that most Egle species fly only near the beginning of the season, but I found both these in late July in different parts of northern England. Is this apparently common one (if they are the same species) an exception?

Edited by Stephen R on 08-01-2010 02:16

Posted by javanerkelens on 08-01-2010 14:30

Interesting article!
In particular about:

Egle groenlandica sp. nov. is only known
from females and may be the first known case of a calyptrate fly reproducing parthenogenetically.

Egle species are indeed one of the first flies to see, but maybe there are hostplants who have there flowering a bit later....? So some egle species are active in that time of period..?

Joke :)

Posted by Stephen R on 08-01-2010 15:59

Hi Joke,

I know it's foolish of me, but I'm still impressed by the similarity between these flies and the Gallery photo http://www.diptera.info/showphoto.php?photo_id=2791 labelled Delia platura. The overlap of the twp calypters seems the same, and the mouth doesn't seem to protrude any more in mine. I can't see any clear difference in the chaetotaxy, or the shape of the head. The shapes of the thoracic sections also seem very similar. Even the little hair between the 3 strong pdcs and the scutellum is there. Am I missing something big? (Wouldn't be the first time ;) )

Stephen

Posted by javanerkelens on 08-01-2010 16:42

Sorry....I think you and Lars are just right!
So forget Egle sp.
I will clean my glasses ..:D

Joke

Posted by Stephen R on 08-01-2010 18:04

#10

Is that the X-ray glasses? :) Thanks for the graceful climbdown Joke - I'll try not to let it go to my head :D

Stephen.