Diptera.info :: Identification queries :: Diptera (adults)
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 Tachinidae - Pelatachina tibialis prob.
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| tim worfolk |
Posted on 29-05-2009 07:01
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 Member Location: Devon, England Posts: 737 Joined: 05.05.09 |
I expected this to be a species I'd recently requested an ID for, however I can't seem to match it with anything. So, at the risk of wasting your time, can anyone help? Devon, England 28/5/2009 Hedge/meadow. Thanks Tim tim worfolk attached the following image:  [126.33Kb] Edited by tim worfolk on 29-05-2009 14:46 |
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| Zeegers |
Posted on 29-05-2009 08:18
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Member Location: Soest, NL Posts: 19009 Joined: 21.07.04 |
Looks like Macquartia, however, the apicalscutellar bristles are lacking. So Cleonica callida (?) How rare is that in Britain ? Theo |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 29-05-2009 09:03
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 Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7703 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Cleonice ... just a tad rare ... known from 2 records from southern counties by 1996 ... I think I heard of 1 more record from last year but I haven't seen the specimen yet  So, Tim is in the perfect county to see rarities like Cleonice so we can't discount it. I have never seen Cleonice but one thing I noticed about Tim's fly is that it seems to have quite a small eye and relatively deep gena ... not sure if that is any clue. Edited by ChrisR on 29-05-2009 09:05 Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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| tim worfolk |
Posted on 29-05-2009 10:15
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Member Location: Devon, England Posts: 737 Joined: 05.05.09 |
Thanks both of you, sounds like a really interesting find. I take from (?) that you are not 100% certain, Theo; is there some way different photos would help? I only took 3 shots and all are from the same angle, but I'll post more if I get them. A quick bit of research suggests a preference for woodland - and particularly poplar - the site was definitely not woodland, rather a very old hedge with a lot of mature trees, mostly oak. The nearest poplar is a planted belt about 200m away. Chris, are records such as this (assuming it could be confirmed from a photo) any use to you, or do you always require a specimen? This site, an organic farm almost adjacent to my house, has turned up quite a few notable insect species in the last few years, I still wonder what else is out there... Tim |
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| Zeegers |
Posted on 29-05-2009 13:42
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Member Location: Soest, NL Posts: 19009 Joined: 21.07.04 |
Sorry guys, I just noticed the tibiae are slightly reddish, so that brings Pelatachina tibialis in mind. Female Pelatachina is from picture very similar to female Cleonice, though Pelatachina is distinctly larger. In any case, the ocellars are fine, excluding Cleonice. So no Cleonice and most likely Pelatachina tibialis female Theo |
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| tim worfolk |
Posted on 29-05-2009 14:48
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Member Location: Devon, England Posts: 737 Joined: 05.05.09 |
Thanks Theo, I've edited the thread title accordingly. Tim |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 29-05-2009 14:58
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Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7703 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Tim Worfolk wrote: Chris, are records such as this (assuming it could be confirmed from a photo) any use to you, or do you always require a specimen? All tachinid records are gratefully received as long as there is a high-degree of confidence in the ID. For rarities, such as Cleonice (if it had been this species) then a specimen would be very good - I don't think we could have accepted the ID if there was any doubt in Theo's mind.
Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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| Zeegers |
Posted on 29-05-2009 17:14
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Member Location: Soest, NL Posts: 19009 Joined: 21.07.04 |
I agree, rarities should be confirmed by specimens unless unmistably obvious (such as male Phasia aurigera). All my ID's are (at most) 90 - 95 % reliable, that is, is something very unusual pops up, I'm likely to miss it. There are simply to many species of Tachinidae to be able to give a 100 % from picture, in most cases. this one, on the other hand, is my mistake. 'Resembles Macquartia' got me into Cleonice, whereas Pelatachina more or less resembles Macquartia as well and is much more common (also in the UK ?) Theo |
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| tim worfolk |
Posted on 29-05-2009 21:43
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Member Location: Devon, England Posts: 737 Joined: 05.05.09 |
I agree completely with the both of you, I was merely wondering about cases (probably not that many, I admit) where identification could be established with 100% certainty from a photograph. Obviously my interest is in taking photographs rather than specimens (I'd like to do both but I don't have the time). I'd be happy if I could contribute in a small way by submitting records of what I can be sure of. Tim |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 29-05-2009 23:00
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Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7703 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Zeegers wrote: Pelatachina more or less resembles Macquartia as well and is much more common (also in the UK ?) Yes, I'd say it is fairly frequent/common in the UK
Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 29-05-2009 23:02
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Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7703 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Tim Worfolk wrote: I'd be happy if I could contribute in a small way by submitting records of what I can be sure of. ... and we'd be very happy to have them - anything from Tachina fera and Eriothrix rufomaculata right up to the Cleonice callida of this world 
Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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| Zeegers |
Posted on 30-05-2009 09:40
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Member Location: Soest, NL Posts: 19009 Joined: 21.07.04 |
Actually, diptera.info has contributed significantly to the recent knowledge on distributional pattern, so keep them coming ! More pics of the same fly make a positive ID more likely. In 3 pics of this one I would inmediately have noticed the reddish tibiae in at least one. So, the more, the better, even from the same fly ! Theo |
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