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I am trying to clarify the limits between both species, P. aprica and P. graeca and have nothing clear.

Following Krcmar et al (2011) Horse flies key of Croatia who is based on Chvála et al. (1972) and also Portillo-Rubio (2002) Fauna Iberica Tabanidae Key, they use, for instance some characteristics which I found really ambiguous:
- Antenna: All antenna seen from both species are orange or pale brown in the basal segment and dark in the apical ones.
- Abdomen colour is brown with a black median line wihich is more or less narrow or wide.. I have not seen nothing written about a rate.

There are a few pictures of what I would call authentic P. graeca, with the tooth pointing really forwards and very narrow black line on abdomen:


Krcmar et al (2011) has some "good" graeca specimens:

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Before female and now the male from Krcmar et al:

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This one from this site from Gerard Pennards

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And a really pointing forward tooth (I don't know the source):

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Last one seems 'clearly' aprica.

Difference is difficult to formulate exactly and Leclercq indeed considered bith forms conspecific. Graeca is much more golden, antenna nearly completely orange in in lateral view antenna segment 3 much broader. All relztive to aprica.
Moreover, both species hardly (if ever) overlap in distribution: aprica is in the mountians, graeca much more confined to warm lowlands.
For instance: any Philipomyia from Asturias is bound to be aprica.

Theo

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3rd antennal segment with large pointed dorsal tooth, directed forward, orange-yellow in color. (graeca)

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3rd antennal segment is dark reddish-brown with small rectangular dorsal tooth, not directly directed forward. (aprica)

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And this picture I was asked to name, it made me think...

What's your opinion?
Thanks

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Definitely aprica, no doubt. Much too dark for graeca.
note that it is a male. In males antennae are more slender, and therefore the dorsal tooth is relatively more prominent. So compare males only with males !

Theo

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Ok