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Hi! Not sure if this is the right place, but I'll move it, if not.

This follows on from an ID question (http://www.dipter...d_id=40531).

Trying to follow the key in The Drosophilidae (Diptera) of Fennoscandia (FAUNA ENTOMOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA 39, Bächli et al) I'm unsure about the presence of a 'preapical seta' on the mesotibia.

Figures 10 & 11 page 12 of this text indicate that the apical seta is at the lower (away from body) end of the 1st tarsal segment and points posteriorly, whilst the pre-apical seta is at the lower end of the tibia and point anteriorly. No mention is given to setae in roughly the same positions but on the other side of the joint that point in the other direction. Do these get names? Also does 'pre-apical' imply it's not right at the joint? For example, in fig 10 page 12 is there a very large (unlabelled) preapical seta?

i.e. what are A and B called, in my dubious copy of that figure from page 12 of The Drosophilidae (Diptera) of Fennoscandia?

Thanks!

Darren

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Fortuitously my copy of "The European Families of the Diptera: Identification, diagnosis, biology" Oosterbroek just arrived in the mail two minutes after posting this. Its excellent terminology section helps a bit - but I'm still not sure about the figure above.

Is 'B' a pre-apical and 'A' an apical, both on the mesotibia?

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A = apicoventral
B= dorsal preapical

Although it's unhelpful for novices not to state this, almost all references to pre-apical setae are dorsal...you live and learn !

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While I agree with Phil that most references to pre-apical setae refer to dorsal preapical tibial setae, the mid-femoral pre-apical setae of many muscids is anterior, and there are other exceptions. Being the cautious chap that he is, Phil has, of course, covered himself with the term "almost all". ;)