Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Salt Marsh species?
Posted by Tony T on 11-07-2007 14:57
#1
10 July 2007, New Brunswick, Canada
Saw this pair while I was seeking Tabanids on an Atlantic salt marsh. Not sure if the habitat is significant but thought maybe this species is also on the other side of the ocean.
Genus? or better;)
Posted by amalia_raluca on 12-07-2007 12:38
#2
Merodon sp.
Posted by Paul Beuk on 12-07-2007 12:50
#3
Not
Merodon. As I understand, the only Nearctic species is the introduced
M. equestris, which should have a triangular expansion at the tip of the hind femur. No such thing here.
Posted by Tony T on 12-07-2007 22:45
#4
Thank you both for your comments. The species has been identified as
Lejops (Polydontomyia) curvipes, a widespread species of salt marshes occurring on the East and West Coasts of North America and in thje saline prairie wetlands in the center of the continent. How does a fly with such a restricted habitat get so widespread?:(
Posted by Susan R Walter on 13-07-2007 13:51
#5
Perhaps the habitats once connected up, or perhaps other habitats provided the flies requirements too, but now no longer exist or are changed sufficiently to exclude the fly.
Posted by Tony T on 14-07-2007 02:36
#6
I suppose they must have been connected once upon a time; I can't see any way that a fly restricted to saline marsh could fly across the width of today's North America. Still difficult to get it into the center of the continent in the saline marshes. These saline ponds are not connected to the ocean and probably never have been, they are saline because of the limited rainfall and great evaporation of surface water in the western deserts/prairies.