---

:o

Hello, I know this is a very rare species here. I have keyed it to Platycheirus sticticus, maybe I have got that wrong but I don't know what else it could be.

Taken on 28th August feeding on Lythrum salicaria next to a roadside drain in my garden, south of Lincoln UK.

Old woodlands and heathlands type habitat.

Two pics plus a 3rd crop of the front tarsus.

Any comments welcome. :D This cannot be P. albimanus.

Janet :)

---

pic 2

---

crop

---

Have you tried Platycheirus scutatus?

---

I can see where you're coming from Andre, the spots and all else do look very simialr but the front tarsi are much broader than this one.

I think I have got P. scutatus too, I have plenty of pics.

Here's the tarsus of the male.. I feel sure this is scutatus, the second tarsus segment is shallow in depth and all else looks to fit.

I took a lot of pics of the first male again yesterday but I still have to edit them.

---

You are right about that, about the first tarsae! And it is strange indeed.
The bristles and tibia of the front leg of sticticus are very different though.
If this is not a 'disabled' male scutatus, it could be P. laskai. But, as has been stated before: only based on pics is too risky in many cases, and certainly in this one. Can you catch it?!

---

Hmmm, I think you know how I feel about catching them Andre! :o:|

I had thought the fly I got two days ago on 1st September was the same as the fly in question, if not it does have the same front tarsi and I got an even better angle. There could be more than one of them, this one has a more worn looking face but maybe it's still the same fly. It was feeding in the same place.

It would be very interesting if it was P. laskai as that is not on our list! :D

http://www.hoverf...php?page=5

I've got four pics with a very good shot of the front leg and tarsus!

---

#2

---

#3

---

#4

---

My darling, please catch it and put it in the freezer. Then put it in a photobox with some cotton and send it to one of your specialists. Please! I am begging you!
And ofcourse, catch a male at least.
It is of scientific value: biogeography.

---

The thought turns my stomach. :| I am a nurturer by nature, sorry! :P

No other thoughts then? Other than the two slightly longer hairs on the tibia, it still looks like P. sticticus to me. The key does mention having just a few scatterd short hairs on the tibia, these are long.

I haven't seen it again anyway, but might. To tease you a little more I have cropped off the front tarsus of the vertical shot. :D

---

:P
No comment.

---

B)

There is something about rarity which makes people want to remain silent. ;)

I dare you! :D

---

Do you have the right tarsae just as clear? And the bases of legs 2?

---

As luck would have it, yesterday I got more pics of one which looks to be the same fly as the first one I posted!

I have got one reasonable pic of the right front tarsae, it then flew to the Lythrum and I got a few more pics but then a bee scared it away. All of those pics were from a similar angle, one of them does show the leg 2 base fairly well. This fly has a much paler mid femur than the second fly.

---

You can see the shape of the spots better in this..

---

The best shot I have showing leg 2 base

---

A crop of the right front tarsae

---

Dammit! Tomorrow you are going to kill one!
And after that, you go to a Cathlic church nearby and confess your sin. After the confession, your conciense is clear again.

What can I do to convince you? Is there anybody nearby to catch it for you instead?!
This is a very very unusual thing, and more than one flying around apparently.
It may even be an unknown species! I am not making a joke here.
Catch it, catch two... catch what you can. Males ofcourse, but also catch females flying around too! Please.

---

:|

I'm not Catholic.

But I will consider what you are asking, and ask whatever gods to forgive me if I should be able do it. I can put my foot on a Lily beetle, but somehow can't catch these to kill! Insect apartheid. :P

---

What did the Lily beetle ever do to you?

Thanks, I really appreciate this!
Please, catch what you can. Would you like to send them to me?
Please contact me in a private message or email, okay?
And, if I ever can return you the favor... just ask!

Hurry, maybe you'll still find some right now! Catch many! :-)

Hugs, André

---

Andre, I have been naming my photos from the 5th, the same day I took the last pics of the male.

I have a female which I took in the same place, only a little over 1 minute before I took the pics of the male.

The face profile looks very much the same! What about those black hairs between the eyes? Even the spots look to have the same shape from the little that can be seen.

I only got one pic, I cropped the head off for a closer view.

---

crop

---

I hold this one for P. scutatus or splendidus :)
Even with a good shot of the face difficult to separate from a picture.

---

That is interesting, I had looked at the pics of females I have named P. scutatus, it does have some black hairs between the eyes but nowhere near as much as that one. Yes, difficult as you say from pictures!

I also think I was wondering if Ihad a male P. splendidus but in the end decided against, I will have to go through all my pics carefully again.

---

The black long hairs on the frons is not a useful character. It is the fine silverish dusting that is important to separate these species...

---

Darling, it is clear that you caught the wrong one... You caught Platycheirus albimanus, which has very different spots on the abdomen than the 'mysterious one' above.
That is why I hoped you would catch sooner and more....
Too bad.... a missed opportunity :(

---

Yup, I had thought that too when I tried to get good pics after the event but it was difficut to see properly so had to send it just in case.

I hadn't seen any more after that, but I do have pics of one I had seen feeding on the Agastache a little earlier on the same day which looks to be the same as the first fly. Now there are very few around of any species.

Maybe a missed opportunity, can't win them all. The record is here to forever taunt you now! ;)