Diptera.info

Posted by wilde on 07-07-2008 16:07

Wings look a bit like Muscidae. Little fly, about 5 mm, Koudekerke, Netherlands.
Recently I tried to breed the wasps of a parasitized larva of Pieris brassicae. The results were about 20 tiny wasps (3 mm) and 1 specimen of this fly.
Lateral view:

Edited by wilde on 16-07-2008 18:56

Posted by wilde on 07-07-2008 16:45

Before posting I already searched in the book of Theo about Tachinidae, but didn't succeed. What kind of details are needed to get the species name?

Posted by ChrisR on 07-07-2008 16:48

Hard to say what it is (maybe Phryxe, maybe Meigenia) - got any more angles? I would like to see if the apical scutellars are crossed. :)

Posted by wilde on 07-07-2008 21:41

I would like to see if the apical scutellars are crossed.

Sorry Chris, but what do you mean by scutellars? Are they hairs or bristles on the scutellum? I couldn't find the definition of this substantive.

Posted by Sundew on 07-07-2008 22:31

Right, bristles. Do you know the nice Anatomical Atlas of Flies (http://www.ento.c...ssary.html)? It is very helpful!
Regards, Sundew

Posted by ChrisR on 07-07-2008 23:11

In this fly the apical scutellar bristles are raised almost vertically, which is unusual. I was just interested to see if the are crossed or not :)

Posted by wilde on 08-07-2008 10:30

Seaching for hosts I found Phryxe vulgaris as an endoparasitoid of the Pieris brassicae caterpiller.
I think this is what you wanted to see (crossed):

Edited by wilde on 08-07-2008 11:21

Posted by ChrisR on 08-07-2008 15:43

#10

It looks a bit like a Phryxe (but again I am not 100% sure), but it isn't vulgaris (that much I am sure about) :)

Posted by wilde on 08-07-2008 18:46

#11

Pieris brassicae larvas are parasitized by at least 5 Tachinids:
Phryxe vulgaris, Compsilura concinnata, Nilea hortulana, Exorista grandis, Siphona geniculata. Could it be one of the other 4 species?

Posted by wilde on 16-07-2008 18:55

#12

I saw Theo is back on the forum. Would you be so kind to look at this fly too?

Posted by Susan R Walter on 18-07-2008 12:41

#13

Pieris brassicae larvas are parasitized by at least 5 Tachinids:
Phryxe vulgaris, Compsilura concinnata, Nilea hortulana, Exorista grandis, Siphona geniculata. Could it be one of the other 4 species?

It's not Siphona - which I am sure you will have already worked out by looking at the gallery or doing a forum search. ;)

Posted by ChrisR on 18-07-2008 14:00

#14

Phryxe is still my best guess - a male nemea - but I'm not 100% sure. Doesn't look like any of the other species you listed though: obviously not Siphona (no long proboscis); obviously not Exorista grandis (the name is a clue ;)); Compsilura is darker and bigger and I don't think it is Nilea (m-cu is shorter then the piece of cu from m-cu to the wing-edge). :)

Posted by Zeegers on 20-07-2008 20:23

#15

I'm with Chris, Phryxe nemea male, often bred from Pieris.
Apical scutellars are clearly erect (first pic), which excludes Nilea.
Wing venation and lack of bristles on facial ridge indicate nemea.

Theo

Posted by wilde on 01-08-2008 14:24

#16

OK Theo, thanks.
A last picture of this small fly (5 mm), close-up (crop) of the head.
May be this confirms the species name.

Posted by Zeegers on 01-08-2008 17:35

#17

It was already confirmed, there is no doubt.

Theo