Diptera.info

Posted by thijsdegraaf on 20-10-2009 22:04

Photographed in the Netherlands 20-10-09. Bergen (N.H.)
Tachinidae. Small, about 5, 6mm. Again I don't know the species :|. They are so difficult.

Best regards,
Thijs

Edited by thijsdegraaf on 20-10-2009 22:12

Posted by Jaakko on 21-10-2009 14:37

Hmm.. Exoristini. Could be even one of the smaller Exorista, such as tubulosa or then something like Bessa selecta? Facial ridges look bare, though.

Posted by thijsdegraaf on 22-10-2009 15:59

Thanks Jaakko,
I see no suggestions of other Tachinidae experts. So I think they agree with you. A difficult fly again.

Best regards, Thijs

Posted by ChrisR on 22-10-2009 18:45

Something of a mystery to me - I don't know anything quite that small but Jaakko's suggestion of Bessa sounds probable - not sure if it is possible to prove it though :)

Edited by ChrisR on 22-10-2009 20:51

Posted by Zeegers on 22-10-2009 19:58

I missed this, but indepedent of Jaakko I reached the same conclusion: Bessa selecta.
And then I saw his message

Theo

Posted by ChrisR on 22-10-2009 20:52

Is the identification based on the fact that there really isn't much else in the Exoristini that is so small? The antennae look quite distinctive. :)

Posted by thijsdegraaf on 22-10-2009 20:52

#10

Thanks Theo, Chris and Jaakko. Three experts with the same name :)

Best regards,
Thijs

Posted by thijsdegraaf on 22-10-2009 21:25

#11

I hadn't seen your question Chris. Both: 21:52 :|

Thijs

Posted by ChrisR on 22-10-2009 21:43

#12

That's OK ... I hardly ever see Bessa but they are tiny and they look like this so Jaakko's suggestion seemed a good one. But I was just interested to see if Theo or Jaakko used some other features in their IDs :) We are all learning :D

Edited by ChrisR on 22-10-2009 21:43

Posted by Jaakko on 23-10-2009 07:41

#13

Hi Chris!

Just a combination of features: sharp kink in the m-vein, white hairs behind the head, low "short-legged" sitting position and small size. Here in North, B. selecta is the only common one fitting to this criteria, and you have even less species in the UK, so I was encouraged to suggest that.

Posted by ChrisR on 23-10-2009 08:25

#14

Thanks Jaakko - I have some Russian B.parallela and selecta so I'll have another look at them :)

Posted by thijsdegraaf on 23-10-2009 10:04

#15

you have even less species in the UK

Thanks for the explanation Jaakko. I know much more now about my fly. For I could not find much on internet. But I live in the Netherlands ;)

Thijs

Posted by Jaakko on 23-10-2009 13:29

#16

Sorry Thijs! Somehow got mixed up with the various authors on this thread... :P