Posted by Zeegers on 23-07-2007 07:59
#4
Hi Juergen,
Nice work ! All Phasia with orange hairs on pleurae are hemiptera, no matter how variable.
Ph. hemiptera has 2 types of males: real macho's, the Scharzenneggers so to say, and female-males: the last are exactly like female, however, with darkened wings and without piecer, of course ! The real females have transparent wings. This explains it.
So, look at the wings or at the genitalia, female genitalia are very large and conspicuous in Phasia.
Theo
Posted by Juergen Peters on 23-07-2007 15:51
#5
Hello, Theo!
Zeegers wrote:
Ph. hemiptera has 2 types of males: real macho's, the Scharzenneggers so to say, and female-males: the last are exactly like female, however, with darkened wings and without piecer, of course ! The real females have transparent wings. This explains it.
Very interesting, thanks for the explanation! Although
P. hemiptera is moderately abundant here (normally), I had never seen such female-like males in the past. But in the last three days I have seen more
P. hemiptera than in a whole normal summer! They are very numerous in the moment, even in our garden. In spring we had a mass appeareance of the pentatomid bug
Dolycoris baccarum here. I don't know if this species is a host of
P. hemiptera, but if it is, one could speculate if there is a coincidence between the two mass appeareances (
Gymnosoma (cf. dolicoridis?)) is also very abundant this year (some
Gymnosoma pics perhaps later, I have shot more than 400 photos today... B)).
Below some today pics of
Phasia hemiptera. Odd:
today I have seen only "macho" males... They are certainly among my favourite flies. In the sun the wings are even shining blue!
http://www.foto-u..._male2.jpg
http://www.foto-u..._male3.jpg
http://www.foto-u..._male4.jpg
http://www.foto-u...emale1.jpg
http://www.foto-u...emale2.jpg
Edited by Juergen Peters on 23-07-2007 15:53