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Hello,

I photographed this fly in Bazzano (AQ), Italy, on May 29th 2019. I think it is a Tabanidae, but is it possible to identify the genus or species from these photos?

Thank you in advance,
Emanuele

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Photo 2:

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A nice male Hybmitra.
Altitude ?

Theo

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Thank you very much Theo! I found it at about 600m a.s.l.

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So, it looks like the male of H. caucasica (I know, weird name).
It is a bit lower than I'd expect, but that is a classic Winnie the Pooh argument
[I don't expect this species as this low altitude, hence it cannot be this species].

So I'd better rewrite my book of expectations


Theo

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Thank you. All the photos I found online of H. caucasica show entirely black specimens, while this one has yellow hairs that cover its body. Is this difference due to intraspecific variability?

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Yes, that is weird. The tibiae are slightly reddish as well. Disturbing.
If there are no additional pics, I am not sure.
Your golden hairs suggest auripila, but the palpus is white, not dark ?

Theo

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Unfortunately I don't have other photos. H. auripila however, seems more plausible to me, and the palpus colouration in my opinion is not so different from the one of this specimen: https://diptera.i...pid=316201.

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I disagree on the palpus colouration. This one is yellowish white, where the female you refer to has dark grey palpus. That said, I agree the identification as caucasica is troublesome, to say the least


Theo