Diptera.info

Posted by blowave on 20-10-2010 20:03

Hello,

15th October,on Ivy. My garden near Lincoln UK. Approx. 5mm.

It has a big end!

I have several photos, posting 4 pics.

Janet :)

Posted by rvanderweele on 20-10-2010 20:55

M. platycephala female. Some females have a big end.....OMG...wrong sense of humor...I know...males as well....

Posted by blowave on 20-10-2010 21:30

Thank you Ruud! There are no photos of this one in the gallery.. I'll put some in!

I guess this is a female with the big end. :D

Posted by Mark-uk on 21-10-2010 01:49

I thought platycephala only has one sternopleural bristle and biserial Acrostichals? most of the females of platycephala I see have eversible sense organs in the membrane at each side of abdomen.

I couldn't confirm from these pictures, without photo of inner front femur, but this has a rorida 'look and feel'

Edited by Mark-uk on 21-10-2010 01:50

Posted by rvanderweele on 21-10-2010 05:20

If I look at the last photo I think I see 1 sternopleural, but if I see the top photo, I agree Mark, I think there are two. And if you look at photo nr 2 indeed you see the ac's, which fit rorida well. So, I think you are right. I say 99% sure it is rorida. Indeed, under the microscope you first check the first pairs of femurs quickly.

Posted by rvanderweele on 21-10-2010 06:50

Hallo, it is me again. During my drive to my office I have been thinking about platycephala. Mark, your observation about the organs is true. I remember know that years and years ago I heard somebody say that these organs are feromonal glands. But I have nowhere read about it. Now you call them sens organs. What do we know about these organs or glands? It is true that they are sometimes very big.

Posted by blowave on 21-10-2010 11:07

#10

Thanks Mark, I know I already have M. rorida. I haven't submitted any photos for the gallery, I like to give a little time just in case! Photos are not always the easiest to see details or even recognise them. I don't have a clear enough shot of the inner front femur.

I don't know where these eversible sense organs are but I can try to find out for future reference!

Well there's one explanation on google books..

http://books.goog...mp;f=false

Posted by Mark-uk on 21-10-2010 18:17

#11

Collin descibes them as "eversible sense organs", I would love to know ther true function.

they are difficult to descibe, but they are very clear and difficult to overlook.

Posted by rvanderweele on 21-10-2010 18:27

#12

As far as I remember Laszlo Papp called them feromone glands. But I do not know where he had this information from.