Diptera.info

Posted by Liancalus on 22-12-2013 12:12

5.7mm, damp grassland, western England, July 2010.

Preac

Abdomen dark

Scutellum dark

F black

Np bare

T3 with 1 pd in apical third

Crossveins infuscated

Prealar = posterior np

However, no lateral marginal scutellar hairs below level of strong bristles.

Would appreciate advice at this point if there are any more likely identifications.

Edited by Liancalus on 23-12-2013 00:08

Posted by Stephane Lebrun on 22-12-2013 12:37

Please, what is that cercal plate : the pictures are from a female !
Thr pra is too long for P. cincta. P. laeta maybe (broad palpi ?).

Posted by Liancalus on 22-12-2013 13:35

OK, I see where I went wrong in Gregor, T2+3 are a very dark brown but you can only see this with the lighting from certain angles.

Following that takes me to laeta/pratensis. What do you think of the vitta colouration please Stephane? I think it's closer to grey than velvety black, the dusting looks uneven, perhaps some has worn away which makes it look darker than it might otherwise have been

The palpi look broad (5 units) though not quite as broad as the flagellomere (7 units) which Fonseca suggests might be ok, Gregor less so, though I wouldn't say this is much narrower either.

Edited by Liancalus on 22-12-2013 13:38

Posted by Stephane Lebrun on 22-12-2013 17:23

I stick on P. laeta. The thoracic patter matches too. The frontal vitta is not so contrasting, but it is often hard to evaluate.

Posted by Liancalus on 23-12-2013 00:08

Thanks Stephane. That seems a conclusion, at least as far as I can say without collecting more specimens or comparing it to reference material.

Posted by oceanlis2000 on 24-12-2013 10:44

#10

Hello

Phaonia laeta

Looking through my info…

Tibia 1 without a p seta yes
Scutellum bare on lateral margins- you have checked yes
Np bare- apart from 2 strong setae- looks ok from photo
Abdomen without a brown dusted spot at the hind corner of tergites 3 and 4 – side view looks ok from photo

A good find

Posted by Liancalus on 24-12-2013 23:37

#11

Hello Elisabeth

T1 0 p seta

Scutellum bare on lateral margins below level of strong bristles

Np bare except for 2 bristles

Marginal area of tergites uniform

Although I gave habitat as damp grassland and I do not remember the exact circumstances of collection, I suspect it was associated with a dead standing oak which also produced some good local beetles that day (Sepedophilus bipunctatus and Vanonus brevicornis).