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Hi all,

is it possible to identify D. melanogaster based on the black abdomen tip or is it a feature shared by other species as well? Found in my house in Berlin, Germany.

Best regards,
Adrian

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A clear picture of the sex combs on the fore basitarsi is useful in this group.

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Hi John, thanks for the hint. It took me some time to get a sharp picture of another individual I found. Here are front and side view of the specimen, the insets show the sex combs enlarged. I think on the top picture one could probably see some details. I do not think that I can provide any better pictures, my camera was already at maximum zoom and the features are really minute. Luckily the fly was sitting very still! :)

Does this image help?

Best, Adrian

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Drosophila simulans is very similar, but in Germany melanogaster is by far the commonest of the two.