Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Muscidae? West Virginia USA

Posted by Stephen on 01-05-2006 12:03
#1

This fly sat still, very patiently, for numerous portraits.

Muscidae? Musca? ID guidance appreciated!

Posted by Stephen on 01-05-2006 12:05
#2

Here is a lateral view.

Posted by Stephen on 01-05-2006 12:06
#3

And here is the third and final view.

Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 01-05-2006 12:31
#4

Hi Stephen.
I think - yes Muscidae.
I don't think Musca. In case of Musca vein M1+2 sharply curved to R vein, approx. as in case of Calliphoridae, for example.
In Europe I'd vote for Phaonia sp., Muscidae.
Nikita

Posted by Susan R Walter on 02-05-2006 21:36
#5

Stephen

From my limited experience this fly seems to share features which I now think of as often indicating Phaonia. It has the right body shape - rather plump, but not fat, the wings have a slightly dark cast and orangey bases, the calypters are the right size, the arrangement of hairs and bristles on legs and face are all rather neat, femora are orangey, face white with grey stripe edged with black. I don't for a minute think this is a very scientific list, and I am sure it doesn't exclude lots of other flies. Not all the Phaonia I am familiar with have all of these features. The one feature yours does not have that I often see here is the heavy shaded cross veins.

Phaonia must occur in the US, as I see the Cedar Creek website includes at least one. http://cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/index.html.

Posted by Stephen on 03-05-2006 10:37
#6

Nikita, Susan, Thanks very much for your help!