Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Atelestidae (Was - Hybotidae, Microphoridae or ??)
Posted by Gordon on 26-12-2008 11:13
#1
Well this one from Wetland Kerkini Greece is not quite anything for me, but I have a feeling Paul will know what I should do with it. Body length about 2.4 mm, wing length about 1.8 mm.
Edited by Gordon on 27-12-2008 09:04
Posted by igor on 26-12-2008 13:38
#2
Hi,
This is Atelestus pulicarius (Fallen, 1816) belonging to the family Atelestidae (Empidoidea). Currently, the family includes four extant - Atelestus (2 spp., both from Palaearctic), Meghyperus (3 spp., 1 Palaearctic + 2 Nearctic), Nemedina (4 spp. including 1 from Baltic amber), Acarteroptera (2 spp. from Chile) - and several extinct genera.
As I see this is first appearance of the family on diptera.info -
my congratulations and best wishes for the New Year.
Igor Shamshev
Posted by igor on 26-12-2008 13:40
#3
Sorry, I overlooked that there are two pics on the gallery.
Igor
Posted by Gordon on 27-12-2008 09:02
#4
Thanks Igor,
Atelestidae was my third option but I was unhappy about the lack of a fork nearer the wing tip for M1 and M2 as shown in Oosterbroek.
It is actually already on the list for Wetland Kerkini as Paul found some in some other material I sent him.
Gordon
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 27-12-2008 12:08
#5
Congrats, Gordon even this species is in the gallery because this is a rare spot! Did you catch it with malaise trap?
I would like to see some atelestids! Curious realizing that hindlegs are stronger than the other two pair of legs... maybe this fly jumps?
Posted by Gordon on 31-12-2008 09:25
#6
It sure looks like it could jump although I never saw it alive so I have no new info on that, but why jump why when you can fly? Maybe it is to clasp the female, or do they have enlarged hind legs as well?
Posted by Tony Irwin on 31-12-2008 13:24
#7
I think if these hind legs were for jumping, they would have bigger femora. Perhaps these legs are used in flight - like the tail of a kite (sticks and cloth type, not a bird) - they remind me of the legs of
Bibio which lets them hang down while it is flying.
Posted by Paul Beuk on 20-05-2009 14:05
#8
Surprise, surprise: I had the luck to see the actual specimens today and, lo and behold, it is NOT
Atlestus pulicarius! It is the smaller brother,
Atelestus dissonans. In an earlier vial I examined I had a male and a female of
Atelestus, the male almost twice the size of the female. The male fitted the characters of
A. pulicarius to the letter (with several stonger
ad
setae on the mid tibiae, the female fitted the characters of
A. dissonans to the letter (frons virtually completely glossy black). If anyone might be doubtfull that the two species would be present on the same locality, the next vial (from the same site) had several males that fitted
A. dissonans to the letter (smaller, no stronger ad setae on the mid tibiae). So, please, add another species to the Greek list. :D
Posted by pwalter on 20-05-2009 14:08
#9
Nice job :) Is this an acalyptrata family or closer to Dolichopodidae and their relatives?
Posted by Paul Beuk on 20-05-2009 19:40
#10
Used to be Empididae.
Posted by Paul Beuk on 26-05-2009 10:41
#11
So far three localities in total for
A. dissonans, two for
A. pulicarius, one shared by both species.