I found this gorgeous ephydrid in sand dunes in Apúlia, north of Portugal on the last 6th of September. I saw two specimens running on the sand near the shore.
What species could it be?
Edited by Rui Andrade on 16-02-2009 16:33
Posted by Tony Irwin on 08-09-2008 19:17
#2
A real beauty, this one! But I'm not sure that it's an ephydrid - my gut feeling is Tethinidae. I'll check it out and get back later.
Posted by Dmitry Gavryushin on 08-09-2008 19:23
#3
Tethina sp.?
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 08-09-2008 20:07
#4
I don't believe we have this beauty!!!! Really I didn't visit the northern beaches yet! Tethinidae!!!
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 08-09-2008 20:16
#5
Dima... what is your new avatar? (please see your email) :D
Posted by Tony Irwin on 08-09-2008 20:19
#6
I wonder if this is Tethina pictipennis - Lorenzo Munari comments "the one tethind species having spotted wings"?
Unfortunately I haven't got the relevant paper here, but I may be able to check it tomorrow. I am certain that Lorenzo would be delighted to see these excellent pictures, and would be able to say straight away of it is pictipennis.
Posted by Rui Andrade on 08-09-2008 23:11
#7
Thank you guys for your effort.:)
Posted by Paul Beuk on 09-09-2008 07:28
#8
jorgemotalmeida wrote:
Dima... what is your new avatar?
I have been recording its behaviour along the last months, using videos and photos. The males display a very interesting precopulatory behaviour (lekking behaviour, I think), with males alternating between grappling each other and using sideways pushes to try to establish dominance over the other. These exhibitions can either be very short or last for some minutes (the maximum I recorded was a bit over 3 minutes). Note that in video 21 the males move much slower than in video 20, that’s due to the cold weather that day.
If I understood well, the mating begins with the male approaching the female from behind and then jumping on top of her. A curious scene I have registered was a kind of “ménage à trois” with the male on the top grasping the other male with its genitalia.
Only once I saw a female laying eggs. Before they were laid, the female (with her hind legs) pulled some grains of sand apart, then laid the eggs, and finally covered them again.
This species are not very keen on flying, and when in danger they perform short flights maybe taking advantage of being mimetic with the sand to disappear once they land.
Here is a link to a thread started by Jorge about this species:
Well, I just gave the new article on this new species for Science to Paul :P.
Congrats to Andrade and Munari for the wonderful work! :D
Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 16-02-2009 16:47
Posted by Rui Andrade on 16-02-2009 16:35
#17
Congrats to you too;)
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 16-02-2009 16:39
#18
And more news:
Probably I will get some specimens of T. pictipennis form Africa, and, possibly, it will be possible to make genetical comparation with this new species for science - T. lusitanica (the former name was Tethina andralmei, but Andrade and me decided to call it T. lusitanica. :)
Congratulations to Rui and Jorge on co-authoring the paper with Lorenzo - it's a great example of the way that Diptera.info has made a real contribution to the scientific study of Diptera.:)
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 16-02-2009 22:03
#21
Thanks, Tony!
I would like to share here the amazing videos that Andrade took: http://www.youtub...naportugal
There all of you can see other videos besides those which Andrade gave us this afternoon in this thread. Enjoy!
And definitely without Diptera.info this would not be possible! Thanks Paul and Chris for keeping this site!!! :D
Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 16-02-2009 22:38
Posted by Rui Andrade on 16-02-2009 22:30
#22
Thank you Tony and thank you Diptera.info:)
Posted by Paul Beuk on 17-02-2009 08:33
#23
I think these videos are better. :P
YouTube Video
YouTube Video
Edited by Paul Beuk on 17-02-2009 08:33
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 17-02-2009 10:43
#24
:D good to know that now we can add videos in our threads. great!
Those 2 videos are precisely the same I liked.
And this one is spectacular with the mode "slow motion" LOL
YouTube Video
Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 17-02-2009 10:48
Posted by Jan Willem on 17-02-2009 12:08
#25
Nice videos. Great to have such material available for a species new to science.
Posted by Susan R Walter on 17-02-2009 13:58
#26
Very well done Rui (especially :) and Jorge for these great vids, a new to science and the paper; and likewise to Paul for making the sharing of them so easy.
I thought the male trying to rip off a rivals leg with his genital claspers was most interesting (and entertaining ;) )
Edited by Susan R Walter on 17-02-2009 13:59
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 17-02-2009 14:06
#27
Thanks Susan and Jan Willew. Next step, myself and Andrade will go to the beaches trying to find more T. lusitanica in other Portuguese beaches and doing more observations in their ethology...
also hopefully doing genetical studies comparing this one new species with T. pictipennis (known for North Africa).
Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 17-02-2009 14:08
Posted by Rui Andrade on 17-02-2009 22:23
#28
we can add videos in our threads
Thank you very much for that Paul:)
And thank you Jan and Susan, I'm happy you liked it:D. I'll continue adding videos, but in the next months I'll will be focused in another fly;).
Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 17-02-2009 22:50
#29
In two flies you mean. :P
Soon, it will appear more news... ;)
