Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Tephritidae Tephritis bardanae?

Posted by blowave on 12-11-2011 21:47
#1

Hello!

This doesn't quite look right for Tephritis formosa, could it be T. bardanae?

19th August, near Lincoln UK.

Janet

Posted by blowave on 12-11-2011 21:47
#2

pic 2

Posted by John Smit on 13-11-2011 09:03
#3

Your initial id was correct, it is T. formosa.
Mind you, females have a much more extensive wingpattern than males, perhaps that made you doubt.

John

Posted by blowave on 13-11-2011 14:55
#4

John Smit wrote:
Your initial id was correct, it is T. formosa.
Mind you, females have a much more extensive wingpattern than males, perhaps that made you doubt.

John


Thanks John. :)

Yes it was the wing pattern which had me doubting, but the lack of a black glossy strip on the scutellum had me wondering too!

Posted by John Smit on 15-11-2011 15:53
#5

... Can you believe I've never noticed that before! Just been looking at some pictures and indeed the majority seem to have, though not all! Not even sure it is a valid character for the species or whether its variable.
Thanks for drawing my attention to it though!

John

Posted by blowave on 15-11-2011 23:27
#6

Wow, hard to imagine that John! :D

I find my own ways often to separate one species from another, so not using keys I have probably picked up on features which those who follow keys haven't. ;)

I found a feature to recognise a male from a female Blue-tailed damselfly which nobody has found too! The female has a 'C' shape turned on the side on the tail segment next to the blue band, males have a sort of sideways 'S' shape. Check it out! :D