Posted by Pierre-Nicolas Libert on 23-03-2005 11:59
#1
Hi all,
Has anyone the mail of Stuart G. Ball?
Or has anyone his key to Scathophagidae?
Pierre-Nicolas
Posted by Paul Beuk on 23-03-2005 13:37
#2
His email address is . At home I have a (very old concept of a) key to the British Scathophagidae. It is a poor photo copy (well used) but maybe Stuart has a newer version available. He can drop it off here on the website as well. ;)
Posted by Pierre-Nicolas Libert on 23-03-2005 13:53
#3
Thank you Paul.
Is there any other references I could use to identify those dung flies?
Pierre-Nicolas
Posted by Paul Beuk on 23-03-2005 14:27
#4
I have no other key. The key in Die Fliegen der Palaearktischen Region is hopelessly out-dated and, unfortunately, the British key I have (yes, Stuart's ols concept key) does not cover all Dutch species. I would not mind having a more comprehensive and recent key either. ;)
Posted by Kahis on 24-03-2005 13:42
#5
Paul Beuk wrote:
I have no other key. The key in Die Fliegen der Palaearktischen Region is hopelessly out-dated and, unfortunately, the British key I have (yes, Stuart's ols concept key) does not cover all Dutch species. I would not mind having a more comprehensive and recent key either. ;)
I am currently using two keys for North European material:
1. W. Hackman 1956: The Scatophagidae of Eastern Fennoscandia (Societas pro Fauna et Flora Fennica: Fauna Fennica II).
Hackman's paper is already quite old, and somewhat oudated, and the genitalia figures are terrible, but they keys are OK.
2.Sifner, F. 2003: The family Scathophagidae (Diptera) of the Czech and Slovak Rebublics (with notes on selected Palaearctic taxa). Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae, Series B, Natural History, 59(1-2):1-90.
A new summary of one of the best-known Central European faunas with keys and ultra-condensed descriptions. The keys include many species not yet found in former Czechoslovakia.
I find neither really satisfactory - especially the keys to genera are often difficult to follow without previous experience. Sifner's keys suffer from many small errors and some steps make sense only is you are familiar with the group. My 'favourite' is this gem in the key to genera:
32 Fore tibiae interiorly with one to two rows of very short bristles or without them -> 33
- Fore tibiae with or without anterodorsal row of distinct bristles -> 35