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Posted by atylotus on 17-05-2010 13:40

I think this is the larva of a Parydra spec.
It's definitely a Ephydridae, but I can't decide if this is Scatella or Parydra.
I would appreciate it if anybody could have a look.

Edited by atylotus on 18-05-2010 09:22

Posted by Cranefly on 17-05-2010 18:05

I know at least 3 genera with branched anterior spiracles: Pelina, Nostima and Cnestrum. Only 2 of them - Pelina and Cnestrum have secondary branches. Possibly some more genera have this character. :|

Edited by Cranefly on 17-05-2010 18:06

Posted by atylotus on 17-05-2010 18:21

Pelina was the first thing that came into my mind, but this specimen is not the same as I am used to see. There are no angular spots on the dorsal side of the thorax, only spines. The ventral side however, is (almost) similar to my earlier findings of Pelina, showing three rows of spines per abdominal segment, the posterior row having the smallest. Maybe it is the other species of Pelina (we supposed to have two in The Netherlands)? see also http://www.dipter...d_id=27836 for my pictures of the other Pelina? Looking at these pictures it shows some resembles with it, but only slightly different.

Posted by atylotus on 18-05-2010 09:10

I can show you the "normal" Pelina with the characteristic reticulate pattern on the thoracic segments (dorsally). This pattern consists of small chitine patches which somehow resembles a honeycomb structure (is this correct English?), especially on the pro- and mesothorax. There are no spines present in the centrepart, only along the anterior and posterior edges. On the metathorax the chitine patches are thicker (see photo lowerright) than on the mesothorax (upperright) and prothorax (not on the picture) and some of them are small bumps. The centre-part of the first abdominalsegment also has thick chitinepatches, but from the second onward, there are only spines present at the dorsal part.
The anterior edge of meso-and metathorax consists of a wide concentric ring of long spines. The anterior spiracle however, is about the same as in this "unknown" Pelina-like specimen, two branches with secundary branches (in total up to 8).