Diptera.info

Posted by Dmitry Gavryushin on 15-11-2006 14:40

A revision of the Celyphidae (Diptera) of the Oriental region (Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station. Journal series), by JoAnn M. Tenorio, 453 pp., 1972, ASIN B0007BEDNC.
A revision of the Celyphidae (Diptera) from the Philippine Islands (Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station. Journal series), by JoAnn M. Tenorio, 611 pp., 1969.

Edited by Dmitry Gavryushin on 15-11-2006 14:46

Posted by Steve Gaimari on 15-11-2006 16:25

Definitely in the genus Spaniocelyphus, which is widespread in that region. The species is impossible to identify by a photograph, unless the photograph is of the dissected male genitalia! :)
Steve Gaimari

Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 16-11-2006 16:01

1. Thank you Steve. Could you tell me, how to distinguish Celyphus from Spaniocelyphys?
2. Dima & Stephen - thanx.
3. Jorge, this fly do flight. In the net they look like beetles, but act as true flies. Difficult to pin, solid as beetles (both scutellum and scuttum). If you pin it correct (not in large scutellum) it is rather easy to relise wings from under-scutellum.
Nikita

Posted by Steve Gaimari on 17-11-2006 16:26

To tell Spaniocelyphus (and Acelyphus) from Celyphus, you'd look at the form of the scutellum. Take a look at my avatar - that's Celyphus - the scutellum is much more convex, and more or less as long as wide. Spaniocelyphus (and Acelyphus) also have a relatively sharpened vertex, while in Celyphus it is gently rounded over the back of the head.

As for their flight - they aren't terribly good fliers! ;)

As for the photo of the pinned specimen - it is funny, the several characters need to differentiate Spaniocelyphus from Acelyphus are not clearly visible! (it is one of these though, assuming it is from Southeast Asia and not Africa). There is a wing crossvein (bm-cu) that looks like it is absent in the photo (but I can't be quite sure), which would make it Acelyphus - if that is the case, the palpi should be spatulate, not cylindrical. If I could see the top of the abdomen, there is a tell-tale character - in Spaniocelyphus, the tergites have two distinct dorso-lateral longitudinal sutures, clearly dividing them into a central flat plate and two lateral plates. Once you've seen it once, it is plain as day!

Steve

Posted by ChrisR on 18-11-2006 11:55

#10

Reminds me of a fly I fished out of a Malaysian Malaise trap catch a few years ago, which Peter Chandler said was Celyphidae. Looks very similar to Steve's avatar too - extremely large scutellum and a deep violet/blue ... wonderful creatures to test people's knowledge of insect orders ;)

Posted by Steve Gaimari on 22-11-2006 18:04

#12

Nice photo! Definitely Spaniocelyphus - you can see the longitudinal suture along the abdominal segments relatively clearly. I would not surmise to put a species name on this, not seeing the dissected genitalia, and not knowing where it is from! But it is somewhat reminescent of Spaniocelyphus levis (van der Wulp), with the entirely smooth scutellum, the completely dark mesonotum (no yellowish anteriorly), and general coloration - but the same can be said for other species as well!
Cheers,
Steve.

Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 23-11-2006 07:49

#13

1. Thank you Steve.
2. Khoa-Khitchikut NP, 19 Nov, forest edge, 30-50% biger than previos species (and Andrey Ozerov collected in same place and date 3 specimens of realy large 3-d Celyphidae - 6-8mm, blackish-blue).
Nikita