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hi flyforum,

Polietes lardaria or Polietes meridionalis?

I can see a bit yellow anterior spiracle..

Are there more specific hard characteristics to make a difference between these two?

robert

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close up face

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Golden yellow pollinosity on face, parafacialia wider than flagellomere.
P. meridionalis. ;)

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Hello, Stephane!



Urks... :| Found none of these terms in the glossary. Would it be much work to show them via arrows on the photo? Thanks in advance! (I have taken several Polietes shots in the last weeks and can't decide, which species. Perhaps I'll post one or the other in the next days...)

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Hi Juergen,
I am also studying on these two terms;

Parafaciala = that portion of the face between the facial ridges and the eyes. Flagellomere = an individual subdivision or unit of the antennal flagellum.

I think it is the width of the flagellomere?, not the length..?

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Some work has already been made here :
http://www.dipter...ad_id=8809

I wanted to say : parafacialia in middle broader than width of 1st flagellomere (=3d ant. segment), to be precise. ;)

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Somethink like this....

Greatings Joke

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I think the parafacialia is a bit lower in the face?

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Hello!

Thanks to all for your explanations! Now I see a little bit clearer :). Today I have made dozens of Polietes pictures, I can compare now - hoping to also find a species other than lardarius...

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It isn't clear in Muscidae of Central Europe (Gregor et al.) that the parafacial character only applies to males. In the key they say
...parafacialia in middle narrower than flagellomere = P. lardarius

... parafacialia in middle broader than flagellomere = meridionalis.

And in the description of P. lardarius (p. 102) they start by saying "parafacial at middle somewhat narrower than flagellomere". But later in the same description they say "Female parafacial broader than flagellomere", so "narrower than" must only apply to males.

All the autumn Polietes I've caught (only five) have the colouring of meridionalis, despite this species not being on the British list. But they have all been female so I've not been able to check the leg bristle character that Gregor et al. mention for separating male lardarius and meridionalis.

John Bratton

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hi John,

And did you check the colouring of the anterior spiracle?
From what I understand, that's a rather additive character of P. meridinalis

Robert,