Diptera.info

Posted by nick upton on 14-03-2010 16:36

Can anyone confirm my identification of this Thick-headed fly as Conops quadrifasciata and is it known which bumblebee species it targets?

It was photographed on Sept 5th 2010 in a Wiltshire garden close to a red-tailed bumblebee nest (Bombus lapidarius) though several other bumblebee species use the same garden. I also photographed another conopid: Sicus ferrugineus nearby in July.

NickU Generalist naturalist and photographer

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 14-03-2010 16:40

proboscis seems to be small.. (judging by the shadow)
also the date seems to point to a possible Leopoldius sp.

Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 14-03-2010 16:41

Posted by nick upton on 14-03-2010 17:03

Many thanks Jorge for your swift help.

It certainly looks very like some photos I have now found of Leopoldius signatus online, but some distribution info I have also found suggests there is another UK Leopoldius Sp. L.brevirostris which I can't find any photos of. Do you know if it possible to say which one it might be without using a key and more angles of view?

NickU

Posted by nick upton on 15-03-2010 23:26

Thanks Andre. I'm sure you are right that a photo alone can't be definitive. I got some extra advice from David Clements, though, who organises the British Conopid recording scheme and he tells me it looks very like a male Leopoldius signatus. He says the near completely yellow scutellum and apparent lack of a long proboscis look right for Leopoldius and the flight date, location (on ivy leaves near ivy flowers) and what is visible of the abdominal pattern are all strongly suggestive of L. signatus. It's locally well distributed in the south of the UK and is a parasitoid of common wasps (we have many....). The other UK Leopoldius, L. brevirostris is much rarer and mostly associated with semi natural woodland. So I guess it's "probably" L. signatus.

Nick