Thread subject: Diptera.info :: French (Sologne) Tolmerus/Machimus problem. This is Tolmerus calceatus (Meigen 1820)

Posted by Quaedfliegh on 05-09-2011 16:37
#1

Machimus/Tolmerus driving me crazy.

Collected 7 specimen of these creatures. All were caught in Broom (Cytisus sp) on dry soil near Souesmes, Sologne, France. They are similar to T. atricapillus but they are larger, all are about 18-19 mm. Abdomen and thorax dusted golden brown, most hair is yellow, bristles on legs all black, 2-4 bristles on margin scutellum. Beard upper side black, lower side red! Hairs on elongation sternite 8 red! and some black. Postocular bristles red! and black. Legs with lots of red/brown. In appearance and behaviour distinctly different from T. atricapillus. As mentioned they are larger, golden brown and prefer to hang in Broom, more then 50 specimen were hanging there in an area of 50x50 meters, temperature about 30 C. On the bare ground Asilus crabroniformis ruled, over 15 specimen. Keys by Seguy and Engel bring no satisfying solution. Is this maybe a special form?

Edit of tuesday september 6.

Compared my male Loire specimina with 10 randomly picked male specimina of T. atricapillus from the local Museum. I checked them basically for i had little time.

All 10 Dutch specimina had black postocular bristles, a black and white (sometimes yellowish) beard (mystax), and black hairs on elongation of 8th sternite. All but 1 were smaller in size. All Loire males had a black and red beard, more red than black postoculair bristles and red hairs on elongation with some sparse black.

Edited by Quaedfliegh on 21-03-2015 21:41