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This one has been driving me crazy for days - does anyone recognize what it could be? It is from Estonia in 1.08.2005.

The antennae are slightly hairy (hairs not long enough to be 'plumose') with a slight ridge between the antennae; deep gena; eyes bare ... if anyone wants more info just ask :)

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lateral view...

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First impression is Billaea kolomyetzi, which have driven me crazy as well at times.

We need to work through the features, however, at the moment I have no time for this. I'll come back to it or Jaakko or Erikas might have more experience with this species.

By the way: B. maritima sensu Kolomyetz = kolomyetzi Mesnil

Theo

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Thanks Theo - really helpful. The most recent attempt (after a lot of pushing) took me to Billaea but I ran to the final couplet in T&H without much confidence so decided that it was another dead end. But the distribution certainly looks good for kolomyetzi :)

I notice that Billaea kolomyetzi isn't in T&H - does anyone have a PDF of the key that covers it? :D

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I think you'll need:
Mesnil, L.P., 1970. Description de nouveaux tachinaires de l’Ancien Monde, et notes synonymiques (Diptera, Tachinidae). - Mushi 44, 89–123.

Not in our library, I'm afraid.

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Hmm... Google hasn't come up with a copy either :(

If anyone can suggest key changes to Tschorsnig & Herting (1994) I'd be happy to add them in to my copy and update the online version ... that goes for all genera :)

Where I have useful additions to T&H I add them in a different colour or as margin comments to differentiate them from the original translation ;)

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I have a key somewhere, (isn't maritima in T&H?), need to dig for it.

Based on JariF's images, I'm pretty sure that this is Billaea kolomyetzi. I haven't seen it myself...

Best,

J.

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Billaea maritima is not in T&H.

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I will email my personal central european key to Paul, hope he can put it somewhere on the site.


Theo

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I cannot imagine that will prove to be a problem. ;)

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Superb! :D

Would you mind if I translate & include your margin-notes in my English translation of the key? :)

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I'll send you both


You can pay me 'in nature', as we say in dutch (ie. Billaea's!:)


Theo

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Here it is in pdf format.

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Thanks Paul


Theo

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Clearly central vitta is present.
SO it is not kolomyetzi, but fortis or steini.

It was already more bulkier than the kolomyetzi I'd seen.

SO Chris, what is it gonna be ?


Theo

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OK if the faint central vittus is good enough to qualify then we proceed...

There are no marginals on T1+2 ... a bristle in this position has actually just detached itself some somewhere else and seems to be stuck upside down. So not B.irrorata.

The longest hairs on the arista are just longer than the width of the base of the arista; there are 2 sternopleurals; the 2nd antennal segment is reddish/brownish/dark-orangeish... but there are 3 strong pre-sutural acrostichals ... so I would go for B.steini :D

The only slight problem is T&H's secondary feature "Tergites 3 and 4 with trapezoid dark spots" ... which this doesn't have at all. Did you omit this feature because you heard that it is unreliable? :)

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OK Point taken.

It must be kolomyetzi, there is no other option,
this central vitta (Chris: it is vitta, pl. vittae) is very annoying, must be accidental or aberrant.


Theo

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Thanks - I didn't study latin - and it shows :D

I would be happy making it B. kolomyetzi but it would certainly be nice to see a specimen of B.steini just to know what they look like. The central vitta is much fainter than the others and that probably doesn't show very well in the photos (a side-effect of sharpening perhaps). But the problem will be tracking down any specimens of steini at all, I think ... I have asked Peter whether he has any :)

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Just a quick update. Peter Tschorsnig has been in touch regarding this thread and he says:


So perhaps the keys need a caveat that allows for a fainter central stripe in some individuals that would normally only have 4 stripes? :)

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Hi,

Regarding Theo's key. In B-B B. microcera Rd. = "real" maritima. How about B. ringdahli Vill. and B. subrotundata Rd.? I can't find any synonyms for them.

According to B-B steini should look like:
3rd segment of ant. not more than twice length of 2nd; latter reddish yellow. t 3 and t 4 with large triangular dark overlapping spots.

So I don't think this is steini as the triangles should be obvious (compare to B. triangulifera!).

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First, let me state I'm definitely not the expert on Billaea.
So in some cases I just follow the literature.

B. ringdahli Villeneuve = steini according to Herting (1984).
and www.diptera.org as well

I never have heard of B. subrotundata nor has www.diptera.org nor www.faunaeur.org. So please give a reference so that I might understand its meaning.

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Thanks Theo. B. subrotundata Rd. is in Bei-Bienko (Keys to the ... USSR, vol 2). All I know...

It is in couplet with fortis:
Width of plumosity of arista distinctly greater than width of
3rd segment of ant. Abd. with light gray coating, in male
almost without dark spots, in female with black bands along
post. margin of t 3 and t 4. t, with comb of equal-sized ad, in
female sometimes interrupted by one large br. Body 10 to 12.
South (Ukraine), Caucasus; Turkmenia. Central belt and
south of Western Europe ................ B. subrotundata Rd.

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Right

There is a note in pencil in my handwriting in my copy that

subrotundata = adelpha



don't know the source of this equality, at the moment


Theo

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That helps, thanks!

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thanks guys !

I will have to rewrite my key.
There was a reason why it was unpublished !


Theo