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hi, has anyone got a pic of the ocelli on Trichoceridae? its my first go at Nematocera

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Hi, I made some pics of the head of a Trichocera cf hiemalis female stored in alcohol. Not too sharp... What You need them for?

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Closer:

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hi thanks for that, im running a gnat down Oosterbroeks family key but i normally look at the higher flies, so was having trouble telling if i had, occelli , ruddimentay occelli or just a shadow!

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You could try Andrius from Lithuania (Page 3 of "A") in the members list. I don't know if he has been visiting the site lately, so maybe send him a PM. He is studying them.

Regards Roger


Don't know where the smiley came from and can't edit it out?

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Good luck with Your gnat, it was a good opportunity for me to see how Trichocera compound eyes look like - would never have checked them:)

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Well, I've never paid attention to ocelli while discerning Trichoceridae from other families. Usually wing venation, general view of genitalia or simply general view of the insect is enough to tell it is a winter gnat :) I guess people can tell quite the same about other families they work with - as someone once told here on Diptera.info - "you just know" :D

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Now it seems to me that this is a good opportunity to check if I was right with T hiemalis:

Here are the pics from the animal:

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2:

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3:

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It looks more like T.saltator to me as ovipositor of hiemalis if of slightly different shape and is usually shorter that that seen on your pictures. I've attached the image I have on hiemalis - just sorry for the quality :)

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You could also dissect the genitalia (just separate last sternite from tergites) and check the inner structures - genital fork, genital plate (has two setae in hiemalis and usually 4 in saltator) and spermathecae (3 dark balls) of hiemalis look like those in the picture :)

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Hi, thank You for the infos, I have collected only females this winter but have also males from last, will check them.

Best regards,

Walter