Diptera.info

Posted by Sundew on 10-06-2011 19:11

Hi,
This small fly I saw in Austria, Tyrol, Niederthai (1.500 m) in last August. The only flies with such dotted abdomen I know belong to the Muscidae; however, the eyes of this male are strange. Anthomyiidae might be another option... Help, please!
Many thanks, Sundew

Edited by Sundew on 11-06-2011 19:24

Posted by Sundew on 10-06-2011 19:36

Ah - a genus new for me - many thanks, Erikas! It resembles the male of thread http://72.44.83.9...pid=135710, so perhaps A. cilipes, too?

Posted by Stephane Lebrun on 10-06-2011 20:53

I agree, Azelia cilipes or nebulosa. It is difficult to see whether it has a pd on t2 or not, or the number of av on t3.

Posted by Stephen R on 10-06-2011 20:59

I thought I saw the pd (for A. cilipes) in the first picture of post 2.

Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 10-06-2011 23:09

cilipes and nebulosa usually have different abdominal pattern:
- lateral spots large, almost touch median spots - nebulosa
- lateral spots small, well separated from median spots - cilipes
This male has typical "cilipes" pattern.

Posted by Stephane Lebrun on 10-06-2011 23:21

Thank you Nikita, it's a useful information. Is it also available for females ? Azelia is a nightmare for me. I have many females undetermined because of the colour of the tibiae (can't make the difference between light brown ,brownish yellow etc.).

Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 11-06-2011 09:35

#10

Stephane, I hear several doubts in one your question.
At my opinion:
1. In West Palaearctic females nebulosa and cilipes seem reliably separated by t2 d preapical. (I hadn't checked female's abdominal pattern yet.)
2. Generally, keys for females aren't reliable at all even for Europe.
3. So far, I ignore females Azelia collected without males or label its as "collected with male of A. ..."
4. I have more than enough doubts in taxonomy of males, so I'm working on this problem as a first step.

Posted by Stephane Lebrun on 11-06-2011 17:51

#11

Thanks Nikita, I feel less alone now ! Indeed, it was not only about A. cilipes/nebulosa, but for the other females.

Posted by Sundew on 11-06-2011 19:19

#12

Now. this is a really hot discussion! Let's go on with males - you wanted me to show you some more legs :D. Here they are, though I am afraid the needed bristles might be less well visible. I am sorry I have no better legs to show (Azelia concerned)...

Posted by Sundew on 11-06-2011 19:22

#13

However, Nikita's point to different spot patterns is very helpful for me. So I guess I found also a male of A. nebulosa in the same place some days later. What do you say to this one?

Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 12-06-2011 00:12

#14

1. The first new series of photos confirm our ID as cilipes, see image attached.
2. I can say, that I'm happy that my character really separate these 2 species OK.
You are right, the second series is nebulosa.

Edited by Nikita Vikhrev on 12-06-2011 11:07