Posted by Tony Irwin on 14-09-2007 20:08
#1
I don't think these pics are good enough for the gallery, but I thought it was worth posting them to show what another species of
Chymomyza looks like. (We've had quite a few of
Chymomyza amoena, with its banded wings.)
I found both females and males (these are the male) on a
Salix tree which had been stripped of some bark. This is a typical habitat for the species.
The locality was beside a lowland river, near Norwich, England. 2 Sept. 2007
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 14-09-2007 21:14
#2
spectacular fly, Tony!
hmm.. interesting... are they attracted by the sap of the tree?
Posted by Tony Irwin on 15-09-2007 18:47
#3
jorgemotalmeida wrote:
hmm.. interesting... are they attracted by the sap of the tree?
Yes, I think so. The larvae, which are always found under bark, probably feed on micro-organisms (yeast and other fungi) that invade damaged trees.
Chymomyza amoena is unlike the other species - its larvae feed on micro-organisms that grow on the frass produced by caterpillars that bore into nuts, etc.