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Hi, the season with Tachinidae is turning to it's end. Only one Siphona now and then. Anyway yesterday was this one in my malaise trap. September 12. 2008 Helsinki, Finland.

Jari

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It looks very BLondeliini.
Further I see only 1 ad seta on tibia 2 and 3 post DC. The eyes are bare.
The genus Vibrissina comes in mind. Easy to see, the females (this is a female) have a Compsilura-piercer, though less obvious. Completely with ventral spinulae.
Could you please check ?


Theo

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Hi, thank You Theo. I tried to find the piercer but could not find any. Am I looking at the right end ?

Jari

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You are right: it is not there.

So, alternative hypothesis: I've been misled by the ad bristles on tibia 2. There are actually more than 1 ?? Maybe broken off?
In that case, it is Oswaldia.

Need better pics of tibia2, thorax and scutellum to be more sure.


Theo

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Hi, thank You again. As far as I can see there is only one ad bristle on T2. Difficoult to get better pictures of so dark species. Here is T2 on the right side.

Jari

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Is it the left tibia 2 ?
then I see 2 ad, if I understand it properly.

I see 2 prae DC. So after all, it would key out to Oswaldia muscaria.
However, this is a strictly spring species.

???


Theo

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No, this is right tibia 2 ! It's getting interesting :)

Jari

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Might be Admontia grandicornis by habitus.

Jaakko

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I agree, it reminded me of Admontia as first glance, however, the parafacials are bare and the arista is thickened on base only.
So ???

You don't have Istochaeta hemichaeta, do you ?

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No, we don't have hemichaeta in our list. Maybe I will add this one to the same box labelled as "Theo" if You like to have a closer look :)

Jari

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I still stick to A. grandicornis. ;) If you look closely, there are short hairs in the anterior edge of the cheeks, quite typical for Admontia. Some females in my collection have quite few hairs anyways. According to the central European key, the arista is thickened at most to 2/3. So it fits. Darkened wings are also typical. Fairly common species in malaise material here in late summer - early autumn.

This is btw, one of the few tachinids that can be found in thick forest. My only net catch is from a path through a spruce forest.

If you have time Jari, take a closeup photo of the cheeks. The image is quite dark, if you can add up the light, it will help seeing the hairs.

Istocheta have wider face and the flight time doesn't fit.

ID'ing tachinids from photos is an interesting exercise, anyways. Most species are so much easier once you have them under the scope. B)

All the best,

Jaakko

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And the last picture. Not a good one :(

Jari

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well, it is good enough to prove that Jari was right.
The parafacialia are, contra first impression, hairy.
As for the arista, to get to the point quoted by Jari, you really first have to choose 'arista at least half thickened'. somehow this seems not to be the case here. But now I've seen the hairs on the parafacialia, I agree it is Admontia for sure. Grandicornis is in that case an obvious candidate.

Thanks for being persistent on this point


Theo

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I'm sorry, read 'Jaakko' instead of 'Jari"


Theo

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Thank You both of You. This is like detective work with flies :D

Jari