Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Hilara - male and female?
Posted by Sundew on 08-05-2010 20:40
#1
Hi,
Today I saw several
Rhamphomyia species, one of them with peculiar fore feet ("swollen basal tarsomere" I would call it). I suppose ID will be easy!
Many thanks, Sundew
Edited by Sundew on 09-05-2010 20:30
Posted by phil withers on 08-05-2010 21:39
#2
Hilara, not
Rhamphomyia
Posted by Sundew on 08-05-2010 22:12
#3
I see... A short proboscis alone does not make a
Rhamphomyia :|. And
Hilara is difficult to ID. So we might come to a dead end with
Hilara spec. One more question: are only the males' feet thickened? I saw rather similar animals with "normal" feet; I shall post them later.
Thanks again, Sundew
Posted by phil withers on 09-05-2010 01:07
#4
Generally it is only the males that have these modified tarsi - they are supposedly used for wrapping nuptial gifts of prey in silk, which occupies the females whilst they mate (although some have skipped the tiring part of capturing prey, and just offer an empty silk packet): lecture over.B)
Posted by Paul Beuk on 09-05-2010 09:45
#5
Hilara maura group male.
Posted by Sundew on 09-05-2010 20:09
#6
Phil: many thanks for the very interesting lecture! I enjoyed it a lot. What a funny behaviour...
Paul: thanks for supplying a group name. Now my next question: do the new pics show the female of that silk-producing male (it was sitting nearby), or is it something else? (In my opinion, they would make a very nice couple!)
Posted by Paul Beuk on 09-05-2010 22:25
#7
Indeed, the female.