Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Chyromyidae, Hungary, June 2007
Posted by Xespok on 23-09-2007 23:38
#1
A very small fly. Acalyptrate possibly. I hope this is a new family for me.
Edited by Xespok on 01-10-2007 13:25
Posted by Tony Irwin on 23-09-2007 23:42
#2
The small size, bright green eyes and all-yellow body indicate Chyromyiidae. :)
We won't be able to say which species, though. :(
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 24-09-2007 13:12
#3
give more info, Gabor... where did you find this? On window, indoors?
Posted by Xespok on 24-09-2007 13:42
#4
It was on a window outdoors. Size max 2 mm. One of the smallest flies ever seen. It looked like a small Lauxaniid, but I suspected that this would belong to this rarish family.
Checking back, Black had some nice photos of a Chyromyid, he should post them to the gallery, because this family does not seem to be represented there yet.
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 24-09-2007 13:58
#5
your and Tony's description fits very well one fly I saw. it is very probable that I spotted this family but no photos to prove it. :(
Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 24-09-2007 13:58
Posted by Tony Irwin on 24-09-2007 21:39
#6
Yes, I had forgotten about Black's photos - they are at
http://www.dipter...post_14345
I had hoped to suggest a better identity for his fly, but I think you are right - they should be posted in the gallery to help everyone recognise this family.
Posted by Xespok on 01-10-2007 10:29
#7
I tried to run though a key on this rather poor image and to my surprise, I could quite easily end up with Gymnochiromyia inermis.
There are only three genera listed for Hungary and only two of them have entirely yellow species. Chiromya has a different head shape, so we end up with Gymnochiromyia. There are only two species that have brown ocellar triangle, and only one of these have yellow abdomenal tergites. - G. inermis.
So I label this as Gymnochiromyia inermis cf.
.
Posted by David Gibbs on 01-10-2007 11:06
#8
so we end up with Gymnochiromyia. There are only two species that have brown ocellar triangle, and only one of these have yellow abdomenal tergites. - G. inermis.
i have to disagree, your reasoning does not accord with my own experience. The head (frons) shape is indeed different in the two genera, Gymnochiromyia narrower, converging forward, especially in male inermis, much less clear in female flavella. your photo is of a female and has a very wide frons. it is not safe to rely on this character, you need to see the setae on dorsum of scutellum and occiput.
i suspect your photo is a female Chyromya, probably of the flava/femorella complex (still taxonomically unresolved). there are also undescribed species in Europe.
even with a very good photo it would be unwize to name such a fly to species.
Posted by Xespok on 01-10-2007 13:34
#9
OK, I will not name this to species than. In fact putting this fly to the genus was the least sure decision. I could not rely on the numbers of setae, because they are not visible (they must be yellow, otherwise they would not be visible.)
I tried to rely on two characters, the shape of the eye, which is not very well visible, but I assumed it is oval, rather than circular. And the size of this fly was clearly under 2 mm, in fact I think it was less than 1.5 mm (I do not know whether the wings count, I just assume that the length is from head to abdomen. Both these characters hinted G. rather than C.
Finally the brown ocellar triangles seemed to match G. inermis. All C. images that I could find had yellow ocellar triangles, though I could not find any info of this feature on C. species.