Diptera.info

Posted by nick upton on 05-12-2010 19:39

Thanks Sara. I think it has to be as nothing else I've seen has eyes like this, and the "band-eyed drone fly" E. taeniops is a Mediterranean species so the location is fine. I'm no expert, though, so usually seek confirmation for my IDs. Sometimes I'm spot on, sometimes wildly wrong, especially where hoverflies are concerned.., but they're very photogenic and sit around in bright sunshine so I take a lot of photos of them!

Posted by Sara21392 on 06-12-2010 07:07

I�m not expert, too, about Syrphidae, but when I saw this image, interesting it for me. My teacher working on Syrphidae and I ask him, he said me that it�s E. taeniops and told me which he has this specimen in his collection. Your think about behavior activity of Syrphidae was interesting for me� :)

Posted by nick upton on 06-12-2010 23:12

Many thanks again Sara for getting some expert input from your teacher. I'll add this image to the gallery when I can find time, although there are some there already, but not from Greece. When i take photos I don't use flash, so i need very bright daylight. So I end up taking a lot of shots of insects such as syrphids that visit flowers in full daylight, or use sunshine to warm themselves up (that happens a lot in the UK on cool spring days) and am sure I'm missing lots of insects that prefer shade and the underside of leaves! One day I will get some flash gear for such things, and for insects of shady forests, but i actually prefer the great colours of insects and backgrounds you get with daylight. Some insects I photograph seem most active on sunny, very low wind, humid days, such as chloropids when they are courting, releasing pheromones and hovering slowly around in search of mates (at least Thaumatomyia notata does this from my observations).

Posted by Sara21392 on 08-12-2010 11:51

Dear Nick Upton
Your think about behavior of Chloropidae was so interesting for me, cause I have such think, too, about it; but I wasn�t sure, now that you told it, I make sure which this think is correct�!:)
I have a question, would you please lead me!
Is there any source about Chloropidae that I can more study about them?? Do you know??
Thank you very much. :)

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 08-12-2010 12:28

http://www.zin.ru...00/16.html

http://www.mapres...18p551.pdf

http://actazool.n...rtshuk.pdf

http://www.tm.mah...9-4529.pdf annoying chloropids..

http://www.jstor....s/25082315
�
http://talon.niag...blecha.pdf
with one of the best stacking photos I've seen from a Swedish:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnhallmen/4999223490/

in Manual Palearctic Diptera there is a chapter dedicated to them...

quite a change from acrocerids to chloropids... odd? :)

Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 08-12-2010 12:29

Posted by nick upton on 08-12-2010 12:33

#10

Hi Sara; I'm no expert on Chloropids, far from it, but am a trained behavioural zoologist so I notice distinctive behaviour and as I used to study pheromone communication in invertebrates, so was pretty sure I knew what I was seeing. A few months ago, around the time I posted some images of this behaviour : http://www.diptera.info/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=29310 I did track down some online info on chloropids using eversible pheromone vesicles - check this: http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/18/36877837/Male-flies-with-yellow-balls--New-observations-on-the-eversible-vesicles-on-the-postabdomen-of-male-Thaumatomyia-notata-Diptera-Chloropidae and think I came across some further academic references. I can't look those up again now as I have to leave home in a few minutes for a couple of days without email access, but will try to re-find them and will post them on the Chloropid wing-fanning thread for you if I find any (as we have gone off topic on this syrphid thread!).

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 08-12-2010 12:36

#12

the best photos with eversible glands WE have seen so far here in DI were these spectacular, really spectacular set of photos, though in LAUXANIIDAE... but worthy a view.. :D

CAUTION: It can trigger some screams...

http://diptera.in...ad_id=8949

Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 08-12-2010 12:36

Posted by Sara21392 on 08-12-2010 17:17

#13

Wow, that's exercise jorgemotalmeida, I never seen such as that, that's very nice. :D
I'm very very ...thanks to you (jorgemotalmeida & Nick Upton), you so help me :D :D

Posted by nick upton on 08-12-2010 20:54

#14

Great pics on that link. Now that's really showing off... Will try to get some closer pics of my chloropids next year once I get my extentsion tubes (they're v common in my garden) but they're awfully small flies...