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 Syrphidae killing plant?
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| zcuc |
Posted on 17-04-2009 00:02
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Member Location: Israel Posts: 492 Joined: 08.10.07 |
Hi, Recentlly I'd encounter a stange phenomenon. Many dead Eupeodes on Dactylis glomerata. The Dactylis is not a sticky or poison plants and as far as I know has no nectar to offer. zcuc attached the following image:  [76.99Kb] Edited by zcuc on 17-04-2009 00:05 |
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| zcuc |
Posted on 17-04-2009 00:04
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Member Location: Israel Posts: 492 Joined: 08.10.07 |
Looking closer reveal many dead Eupeodes between its pollen. I can see no reason for a plan to kill it's fertilisation insects. What do you think is the cause for it? zcuc attached the following image:  [117.42Kb] Edited by zcuc on 17-04-2009 00:08 |
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| Rui Andrade |
Posted on 17-04-2009 00:33
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 Member Location: Portugal Posts: 3123 Joined: 19.06.07 |
The flies were killed by a fungus: Entomophthora muscae. |
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| Andre |
Posted on 17-04-2009 10:39
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 Member Location: Tilburg, the Netherlands Posts: 2111 Joined: 18.07.04 |
Do you know which species this is? |
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| lagura |
Posted on 19-04-2009 18:41
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 Member Location: Helsingborg, Sweden Posts: 1241 Joined: 24.10.08 |
I thought I'd see a photo of a Syrphidae killing a plant  I've seen something similar to this. Literally hundreds of dead or dying Syrphidae on various kinds of grasses and weeds. Those were mostly Melanostoma too, but also a few Episyrphus balteatus. Some were actually grasping on to others.  |
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| zcuc |
Posted on 19-04-2009 22:30
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Member Location: Israel Posts: 492 Joined: 08.10.07 |
Rui, I originally was thinking the swollen belly was femals with eggs belly  Not that not all of them are swollen.But the big question is what are they doing on that plant? why not going to die on the ground or if they want to do it on plants why not on one of the surrounding plants? To Andre, as a matter of fact I didn't checked  I was assuming it was Eupeodes corollae but didn't looked too close. |
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| Andre |
Posted on 19-04-2009 22:38
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Member Location: Tilburg, the Netherlands Posts: 2111 Joined: 18.07.04 |
They don't look like corollae to me, maybe not even Eupeodes. Well, no hard feelings  |
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| zcuc |
Posted on 19-04-2009 22:55
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Member Location: Israel Posts: 492 Joined: 08.10.07 |
Andre, Here a closed up on the fly. I agree it doesn't look like Eupeodes but I'm not sure what it is. zcuc attached the following image:  [62.1Kb] |
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| lagura |
Posted on 19-04-2009 23:37
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Member Location: Helsingborg, Sweden Posts: 1241 Joined: 24.10.08 |
They look like Melanostoma sp. to me. The reason why they are were they are is that the fungus interfere with their oxygen intake, so climbing to a higher altidude, and also hold their wings in an unnatural position, apparently help them to breathe for the short time they have left in life. Unfortunately this behavior also helps the fungus to spread easier. |
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| Andre |
Posted on 20-04-2009 09:02
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Member Location: Tilburg, the Netherlands Posts: 2111 Joined: 18.07.04 |
Could be... I am not familiar with near-east Syrphidae. But if it is Melanostoma, which species is it? For scalare they look too similar (variable species) and the spots don't really match for me... And are they all females here? And in the first picture, what's there hanging in the top? |
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