Posted by Andre Jas on 13-11-2006 15:25
#1
Hi again,
Same deduction question here. I couldn't see enough details to get to one family with IntKey, but since I photographed another Phaonia sp I believe this is one too. Is it? Thanks.
Posted by Susan R Walter on 15-11-2006 17:59
#4
Andre
Since no one else has ventured an opinion, I will be very, very brave and tell you what I thought when I looked at this fly. I think it is Muscidae, but maybe not Phaonia. The images are confusing because in the top one it appears to have an even number of dark thoracic dorsal stripes but in the lower picture, the stripes appear to be an odd number. Phaonia has an even number of stripes. Not so many genera have an odd number, and I think it is possible that your fly is Limnophora, but it doesn't seem to hold its wings quite closed enough, or stand in quite the way I have seen it in other pictures. What I can see of the leg bristles don't seem quite right for Phaonia either (too many and not strong enough), but it is a shame we can't see the hind tibia to check for 'the Phaonia bristle'. And are those bristles on the head a little too mad and all over the place for Phaonia? Also the wings are just a little bit too clouded for Phaonia I think. But I am not at all sure of my ground and it may be as you fear that nothing sensible can be said;)
Posted by Andre Jas on 15-11-2006 19:08
#5
Hi Susan,
Everything you said does make sense:) I wish I was a flywhisperer and tell it to stay where they are, so I could've photographed the hind tibia aswell. Alas I'm not:( But the remarks you made, make me realise a few details I've never looked at before (like an even or odd number of stripes). So although I will have to categorize this one as Muscidae sp, I still have learned something again. Thank you Susan;)