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Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 13-04-2014 09:22

Bali, Bratan L. env., 1250m, Febr, 2014, O.Kosterin
Looks like Lophosia, but vein M almost straight, 5mm

Posted by Gerard Pennards on 13-04-2014 10:35

Hey Nikita, nice fly!
This is likely to be Axiniidae, a male Axinia sp.
Females look different, with different antennae.

Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 13-04-2014 14:37

Hi Gerard! Nice to hear you.
1. Female. Yes, I had known it yet, because I have 1 female too: antenna is almost normal, but head shape and everything else too. "Everything else" legs like in Acalyptrata, meron with 1-2 setae only.
2. According to Australasian/Oceanian Diptera Catalog -- Web Version it is:
112a. Family Rhinophoridae Originally placed in their own family, the Axiniidae, but since moved to Rhinophoridae, "axe flies" were proposed by Colless (1994a) to include 16 species in 4 genera in Australia and New Guinea. Nothing is known of the immatures, but based on adult female morphology, larvae may be parasitic, possibly on arthropods or molluscs. Refs.: Colless (1994a).
Different opinion: A small Australian family (axeflies), closely related to the exotic Rhinophoridae and thus to the Tachinidae.
Anyway, Bali is very new record.
Nikita

Posted by ChrisR on 14-04-2014 10:15

Fascinating fly - thanks for the opportunity to see a photo of it :) Do you have more angles that show the exact shape of the subscutellum?

Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 14-04-2014 18:23

Chris, from today and 2 next weeks I'm not in Moscow.
Do you have key(s) for Axiniidae?

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 19-04-2014 18:23

Wowzers!
I wonder if this family was moved to Rhinophoridae family as Axiniinae! An aberrant rhinophorid type with a straight M vein; flies never cease amazing us!

Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 19-04-2014 18:25

Posted by ChrisR on 19-04-2014 19:33

Nikita: apologies - didn't see your reply - no I have nothing on Axiniidae, sorry.