Diptera.info

Posted by Robert Heemskerk on 15-05-2009 15:13

hi flyforum,

Next to my window, I found this rather large Tephritidae ?
I've never seen such Tephritidae(?)-fly

size: 8-10mm

What kind of fly is this?

Amsterdam
15-05-2009

Edited by Robert Heemskerk on 16-05-2009 23:02

Posted by Nosferatumyia on 15-05-2009 15:35

Looks to be a Dacus: abdominal tergites seem to me to be fused. An Asclepiadaceae associated groups? If from the Near East, it could be D. longistylatusWd.

Posted by Robert Heemskerk on 15-05-2009 20:11

Thank you Paul and Valery for your comment.

Strange appearance ;)

I've collected the fly anyway..

Hereby another view of this fly, sitting and licking our net curtain

Edited by Robert Heemskerk on 15-05-2009 20:12

Posted by Robert Heemskerk on 15-05-2009 20:55

Ohw..., sorry :)

Yes it's from Amsterdam, today

Edited by Robert Heemskerk on 15-05-2009 20:55

Posted by Robert Heemskerk on 16-05-2009 14:50

this afternoon I found another 6 of them!

Now I have got 2 females and 5 males.

And I am a bit sure they come from our bunch of flowers.
In this bunch there are big seed pods, that could explain there appearance.

All these flies I collected now in a bottle and they are still alive.

Hereby a male of these flies

Edited by Robert Heemskerk on 16-05-2009 14:50

Posted by Robert Heemskerk on 16-05-2009 16:48

This could be the hostplant of these flies?

Edited by Robert Heemskerk on 16-05-2009 16:49

Posted by Robert Heemskerk on 16-05-2009 18:24

John Smit is interested in the flies.
I'm gonna sent them to John.

Here is a group of zeven ;)

(counter is now on 8!)

Edited by Robert Heemskerk on 16-05-2009 18:39

Posted by Sundew on 16-05-2009 19:49

#10

The seed pods clearly belong to Asclepiadaceae (now subfamily Asclepioideae of Apocynaceae), so Valery's question whether these plants are nearby can be positively answered :)! However, this species is not native to the Netherlands...

Edited by Sundew on 16-05-2009 19:51

Posted by Nosferatumyia on 16-05-2009 21:34

#11

I am pretty sure John can easily IDfy this stuff with Ian White's recent keys. Somehow I suspect that the plant is from Africa rather than from Asia.

In any case, it is a Dacus, not Bactrocera.

Edited by Nosferatumyia on 16-05-2009 21:37

Posted by Sundew on 16-05-2009 23:12

#12

I suppose that the plant is Gomphocarpus physocarpus, native to Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland.

Posted by Maddin on 17-05-2009 02:06

#13

Very interesting find. you might want to keep two specimens in 90% alcohol, because there are many people interested in the DNA of these flies, especially of the introduced ones...
Cheers
Martin

Posted by Robert Heemskerk on 18-05-2009 10:28

#14

Checking the key of Ian White, I think Dacus frontalis fits well. (but it isn't, see note*)

- Wing without any infuscation along any crossvein. Male with a pecten.
- Midfemur distinctly darker in apical half

Obvious to see is a microtrichose area in base of cell br, but I am not sure this is a characteristic.

The flies are sent to John anyway..

* (edit: but it is definitely not Dacus frontalis, ''the host data rules it out!'' (Ian White)

Edited by Robert Heemskerk on 18-05-2009 11:41

Posted by Robert Heemskerk on 18-05-2009 11:30

#15

and a dorsal view of the male

Edited by Robert Heemskerk on 18-05-2009 11:30

Posted by Maddin on 18-05-2009 17:23

#16

Ian White (white<dot>dacus<at>btinternet<dot>com) just emailed me after I told Marc about the fly. He wrote :"Marc De Meyer forwarded the web enquiry regarding the fly to me. In so
far as it is possible to ID a fly from a photo, it is Dacus
siliqualactis, which is common in East Africa in that host."
Thanks Ian, that helps a lot!
Martin

Posted by John Smit on 01-06-2009 10:11

#17

Hi all,

After having received the specimens (thanks Robert) I can confirm it is Dacus siliqualactis.
And yes Martin, four of the specimens ended up in 96% alcohol for DNA analysis.

John