Diptera.info :: Identification queries :: Diptera (adults)
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 Tachinidae for ID please
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| tim worfolk |
Posted on 22-06-2009 06:29
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 Member Location: Devon, England Posts: 737 Joined: 05.05.09 |
I found this prowling around a large colony of Peacock Inachis io larvae. Only managed a few poor shots (all hand-held) but it may be identifiable. I do have other angles/views if that would help. 21/6/2009 Devon, England Thanks Tim tim worfolk attached the following image:  [119.62Kb] |
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| tim worfolk |
Posted on 22-06-2009 06:30
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Member Location: Devon, England Posts: 737 Joined: 05.05.09 |
same fly, different view.
tim worfolk attached the following image:  [108.98Kb] |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 22-06-2009 08:28
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 Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7703 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Yes, a few more angles might help  It looks like Pelatachina tibialis but I can't really see the hind tibia well enough but the rest of the tibiae do look a bit reddish. Their hosts are nymphalid larvae, which fits the behaviour you saw
Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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| tim worfolk |
Posted on 22-06-2009 08:50
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Member Location: Devon, England Posts: 737 Joined: 05.05.09 |
Here's another view, showing reddish hind tibia - I take it this is a good character for Pelatachina tibialis then? Tim tim worfolk attached the following image:  [123.85Kb] |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 22-06-2009 13:06
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Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7703 Joined: 12.07.04 |
It is certainly my best guess - it seems to match on plenty of features (tibia colour, rows of hind tibia bristles, head shape, 3 post-dc, excavation on T1+2 not reaching the margin etc) and it looks right - it's also sniffing around a suitable host too Off the top of my head, I think Pelatachina came out as one of the commonest Small Tortoishell parasitoids in the recent (and ongoing) Butterfly Conservation Sturmia bella project. Just proving that their decline isn't entirely the fault of Sturmia bella and that the long-time native parasitoids can compete very well for hosts. 
Edited by ChrisR on 22-06-2009 13:09 Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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| tim worfolk |
Posted on 22-06-2009 16:48
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Member Location: Devon, England Posts: 737 Joined: 05.05.09 |
Thanks Chris. It's interesting that this individual is so much darker than the pres. P.tibialis I photographed nearly a month ago - that was a nice fresh one, this is worn with more of the underlying black showing through. No wonder I didn't recognise it. Tim |
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