Posted by Axel D on 18-03-2023 18:54
#1
Hello
I caught an unknown Calliphorid fly 2 days ago on a pole at the edge of a forest.
Stem vein is hairy and abdomen is shiny blue. So it would be part of the genera
Protocalliphora, Protophormia, Phormia and
Trypocalliphora. AC setae are strong so it is not
Protophormia. Calypters don't seem to have the good shape for
Phormia and basicostae seem to be black.
Trypocalliphora braueri (the single species of the genus which is présent in France) should have at least 3 notopleural setae, very narrow front and calypters of a différent colour. Therefore I came to the conclusion that my fly is a
Protocalliphora. I have already seen very blue males of
Protocalliphora which should be
P. azurea, but this fly is quite different.
3 species are known in French mainland :
P. azurea,
P. falcozi and
P. rognesi. I did not find much documentation to identify European species but by cross-checking different sources I think this one shoud be
P. falcozi. I extracted the genitalia and it's very close of those shown for this species on
this page. Moreover, male genitalia of
P. azurea shown in
this article have surstyli with a quite different shape. I didn't succeed in finding pictures of
P. rognesi genitalia, but in
this key of American species,
P. rognesi is part of the group "Male surstylus digitate (as in Fig. 56), not appreciably curved" which is also quite different from my fly.
Therefore, do you agree with my proposition ? This species doesn't seem to ba common ?
Found in Bois de Vincennes, Paris, Île-de-France, France
On the 16th of March, 2022
Body length : around 10 mm
Picture #1 : dorsal view
Edited by Axel D on 04-04-2023 13:55