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 Small Corsican Tachinid > Rhinophoridae - Stevenia sp?
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| nick upton |
Posted on 07-06-2010 22:12
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Member Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 828 Joined: 12.03.10 |
Almost the last of my Corsican Tachinids (unless i missed some I assumed were the same...). Just these 2 not very good shots, and I'm guessing this will be a challenge to get close with. But here's the challenge... 29.5.2010 c6mm length, c600m altitude, Corsica. nick upton attached the following image:  [105.1Kb] Edited by nick upton on 08-06-2010 10:38 Nick Upton - naturalist and photographer |
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| nick upton |
Posted on 07-06-2010 22:13
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Member Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 828 Joined: 12.03.10 |
A rather similar view
nick upton attached the following image:  [113.52Kb] Nick Upton - naturalist and photographer |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 07-06-2010 23:03
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 Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7706 Joined: 12.07.04 |
I think this is Stevenia - or at least definitely from the family Rhinophoridae. Note the long petiole on the median vein and the smallish, rounded head ... both features could be on a tachinid but together they suggest a rhinophorid 
Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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| nick upton |
Posted on 08-06-2010 10:37
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Member Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 828 Joined: 12.03.10 |
OK, many thanks for the correction. I really must pay more attention to details like wing veins and not rely on the general "look" so much, but this is a new family to me and does seem very Tachinid like and I read is considered close phylogenetically (by some...).
Nick Upton - naturalist and photographer |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 08-06-2010 11:16
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Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7706 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Yes, they are very close to tachinids but I think all are woodlouse parasitoids ... well, the UK ones are anyway. The Tachinidae is generally accepted as being a polyphyletic group (I think) so it all gets very confusing 
Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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| nick upton |
Posted on 08-06-2010 21:08
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Member Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 828 Joined: 12.03.10 |
OK, many thanks. Slightly less confused than I was of Wilts..
Nick Upton - naturalist and photographer |
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| Thomas Pape |
Posted on 08-06-2010 23:00
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Member Location: Natural History Museum of Denmark Posts: 110 Joined: 29.08.05 |
Yes, this is a specimen (female) of Stevenia. The long petiole combined with the row of rather strong bristles low on the parafacial is conclusive. Nice find as no Stevenia has so far been collected on Corsica. [Note on tachinid polyphyly: There is little doubt that this family is monophyletic, but we are still at a loss with regard to the most probable sister group.] |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 08-06-2010 23:57
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Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7706 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Welcome to the forum Thomas - great to have such an expert on-board! Thanks for sorting out the mono/polyphyly thing - it was a rumour I heard a little while ago
Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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| nick upton |
Posted on 09-06-2010 09:32
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Member Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 828 Joined: 12.03.10 |
Many thanks Thomas. I'm pleased to hear this genus is a new one for Corsica. For the record, the photo was taken near the village of Albitreccia, a few kms off the N196 between Ajaccio and Propriano on a flower covered road verge. Approx 41.52 N 8.52E
Nick Upton - naturalist and photographer |
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