Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Small Asilidae ID -> Lasiopogon

Posted by Manuel Lopez on 18-04-2014 06:48
#1

Around 10 mm. body lenght. On riverside stones, Granada, 17th April 2014.

Thanks !!

Edited by Manuel Lopez on 18-04-2014 18:42

Posted by Manuel Lopez on 18-04-2014 06:49
#2

And another view

Posted by Quaedfliegh on 18-04-2014 17:00
#3

This is a Lasiopogon species, I've got to check. But that will be later.......

Posted by Manuel Lopez on 18-04-2014 18:42
#4

Ok, thanks :)

Posted by jonas on 22-04-2014 12:42
#5

Interesting!
Do you have a close up of front legs? Even fuzzy ones are OK!

Thanks,
Jonas

Posted by Manuel Lopez on 22-04-2014 13:42
#6

This is the best one

Posted by Quaedfliegh on 23-04-2014 23:02
#7

@Jonas, what are you thinking of? : )

It is not L montanus and, although very similar to L cinctus some characters do not fit. Shape of genitalia (could be the result of wild mating: ) but also the colour of the face.

Posted by jonas on 25-04-2014 12:05
#8

Hi Reinoud,
I was checking for spines/bristles on top of tibia 1 but from this angle these are not visible unfortunately.

CHeers

Posted by Ktyr on 10-05-2014 06:41
#9

Rob Cannings' 2002 monograph mentions a couple as yet undescribed Lasiopogon species close to L. cinctus from Spain. I'll ask him what he knows about them.

Oh, and I posted the following on the parent Asilidae forum, but I'll copy it here since you are the ones actually finding (and recognizing!) cool Lasiopogon this year:

I'm a PhD student working on a revision of Lasiopogon robber flies with Rob Cannings, using a combination of genetic and morphological analyses. While my focus is primarily on Nearctic species, I would love to include as many taxa as possible in the phylogeny, including from Europe. I already have some of the common Palearctic species, but more of everything is welcome. So, if you happen across any more Lasiopogon this spring/summer and are able to preserve them in alcohol, I would be delighted to hear from you and help arrange shipment. Please send me a private message if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Tristan

Posted by Quaedfliegh on 10-05-2014 12:30
#10

Thanks Tristan! I'll be looking forward to a respons of mr Cannings : ) I've got his work on Lasiopogon (PDF) i will check that too.

In the Netherlands only L. cinctus is known and the flightperiod has ended already. If i collect any i will let you know.

In 2012 EIS conducted a DNA barcode project and the Asilidae were incorporated. Maybe you can get in touch with them. Try to contact John Smit: eis@naturalis.nl


Posted by Ktyr on 27-05-2014 02:07
#11

Here's what Dr. Cannings said: "The Iberian peninsula, including the Pyrenees, has plenty of undescribed species. I’ve been sent one recently from Portugal, and have photos of another from there that’s clearly different. Neither seem to match L. velutinus, the only described Portuguese species (I did take notes and made drawings of this). The Pyrenees species are mostly similar to L. appeninus and L. grajus rather than the montanus/ bellardii type of alpine species. The appeninus group often have a more or less polished look to the notum and abdominal tergites and the epandrium in lateral view is rather narrow and bowed. Some other lowland species from Spain (and Greece, too, by the way), as you say, I put in a cinctus group (and still others, such as L. velutinus) are likely in other groups as yet undefined). The one in the photos you mention might be a cinctus type, although it’s hard to be sure. The main problem is that there are surprisingly few specimens of these southern European species in any collections (Like Turkey, which I’m convinced has many undescribed species – more than just the two or three I’ve found). I’m afraid I have few details on the specimens from Huesca: Ordesa (“cin-2”, Natural History Museum, London) or Aragon: Albarracin (“cin-1”, Munich collection). Both are single males and I dissected them both.

Sorry I’m not much help here, Tristan, but we need specimens! It would be great if you could get European material for DNA analyses –more than just L. cinctus and that alpine species Eric gave me."

So, the sad answer is, we don't know. He didn't actually revise the western Palearctic taxa in his book, so they await some enterprising future worker.