Diptera.info :: Identification queries :: Diptera (adults)
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 Ephydridae Hydrellia? mite removal service
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| Stephen R |
Posted on 15-06-2009 19:43
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 Member Location: Clitheroe Lancashire UK Posts: 2396 Joined: 12.06.09 |
Am I right on this? I struggled a bit even to settle on the family. If it is Hydrellia, I have learnt from previous threads not to expect a species determination  These flies have been in my mother's garden in Yorkshire at least for the past few weeks. There is no standing water. They always seem to be within about 300mm of the ground, which is well covered by plants. They seem to favour Alchemilla mollis. See below for some feeding behaviour.
Stephen R attached the following image:  [117.81Kb] Edited by Stephen R on 15-06-2009 20:01 |
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| Stephen R |
Posted on 15-06-2009 19:45
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Member Location: Clitheroe Lancashire UK Posts: 2396 Joined: 12.06.09 |
Another view:
Stephen R attached the following image:  [105.26Kb] |
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| Stephen R |
Posted on 15-06-2009 19:47
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Member Location: Clitheroe Lancashire UK Posts: 2396 Joined: 12.06.09 |
and the face:
Stephen R attached the following image:  [91.12Kb] |
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| Stephen R |
Posted on 15-06-2009 19:52
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Member Location: Clitheroe Lancashire UK Posts: 2396 Joined: 12.06.09 |
I watched one of them jump on a small nematoceran which then seemed to escape. When I got the photos home I found that it was stripping it of mites then letting it go. Quite a useful valeting service
Stephen R attached the following image:  [112Kb] Edited by Stephen R on 15-06-2009 20:05 |
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| Stephen R |
Posted on 15-06-2009 19:56
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Member Location: Clitheroe Lancashire UK Posts: 2396 Joined: 12.06.09 |
Sorry about the shaky picture
Stephen R attached the following image:  [100.08Kb] |
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| Stephen R |
Posted on 15-06-2009 19:59
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Member Location: Clitheroe Lancashire UK Posts: 2396 Joined: 12.06.09 |
Cleaned up and ready for release:
Stephen R attached the following image:  [90Kb] |
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| pwalter |
Posted on 15-06-2009 20:15
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 Member Location: Miskolc, Hungary Posts: 3555 Joined: 06.11.08 |
Never heard of this. Really interesting observation. Could never have tought of this... All the cecidomyiids left the fly alive? Do the last 2 photos show the same pair (same fly - same cecid?) |
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| Stephen R |
Posted on 15-06-2009 21:06
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Member Location: Clitheroe Lancashire UK Posts: 2396 Joined: 12.06.09 |
Yes, the last three pictures are all of the same event. I only saw this happen once, and the 'victim' got up and flew away. I got the pictures because I use the camera as a field lens - my eyes are not good enough to see what's going on at this scale |
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| Tony Irwin |
Posted on 15-06-2009 21:49
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 Member Location: Norwich, England Posts: 7285 Joined: 19.11.04 |
Looks like Hydrellia griseola - that's the most likely species to be found away from water, as the larva mines terrestrial plants - most species are breed in aquatic or emergent vegetation. As for the feeding habit - I'll check this one out and get back to you! Tony ---------- Tony Irwin |
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| Stephen R |
Posted on 16-06-2009 19:19
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Member Location: Clitheroe Lancashire UK Posts: 2396 Joined: 12.06.09 |
Thanks Tony, it's very good to have a species! Next time I go to my mother's I'll have a look for nearby leaf mines. Any particular plant it likes? |
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| Tony Irwin |
Posted on 16-06-2009 20:54
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Member Location: Norwich, England Posts: 7285 Joined: 19.11.04 |
I can give you a list of about fifty species! Grasses and emergent vegetation generally - the mines are difficult to spot (not as obvious as agromyzid mines).
Tony ---------- Tony Irwin |
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