Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Problem Lauxaniid ?

Posted by John Bratton on 12-12-2013 14:40
#1

I caught this in a wooded river valley at Menai Bridge in North Wales, 30 June 2013. I think it is a lauxaniid but I can't key it to a species using Laurence Clemons' 2000 key. Help would be appreciated please. Do any lauxaniids have six rows of acrostichals?

The ocellar bristles are outside the ocelli, which narrows it down considerably.
I think it has an intra-alar bristle, which should make it a Minettia, but the arista is very short-haired. I wouldn't call it sub-plumose. If I persist with Minettia, no wing markings and yellow body lead to plumicornis, but there doesn't look anything unusual about the third tergite's shape or bristles.

If I opt for intra-alar absent, I get to Sapromyza s.g. Sapromyzosoma, but the two options here are supposed to have biserial acrostichals (quadripunctata) or quadriserial (quadricincta), whereas my specimen has six rows of acrostichals.

I've also tried keying it as Sapromyza s. str. but that doesn't get to an answer either. Dark patch as well as dark bristles on the occiput. Palps and antennae entirely pale.

Am I in the wrong family?

John Bratton

Posted by John Bratton on 12-12-2013 14:40
#2

Arista

Posted by John Bratton on 12-12-2013 14:41
#3

Acrostichals

Posted by John Bratton on 12-12-2013 14:42
#4

Ocellar bristles

Posted by John Bratton on 12-12-2013 14:42
#5

Abdomen

Posted by John Bratton on 12-12-2013 14:42
#6

Abdomen

Posted by John Bratton on 12-12-2013 14:43
#7

Back of head

Posted by John Bratton on 12-12-2013 14:43
#8

Terminalia - don't look very distinctive.

Posted by empeejay on 12-12-2013 17:25
#9

Have you considered Minettia filia?

Posted by John Bratton on 12-12-2013 17:45
#10

I hadn't because it is not in the British key, but I see I posted pictures of a male M. filia on Diptera.info last year so I'll compare the two. The aristas are similar.

Thanks
John

Posted by John Bratton on 02-01-2014 15:28
#11

Yes, I agree it is Minettia filia.

Thanks
John