Diptera.info

Posted by skrylten on 10-05-2013 20:01

2013-05-09, Degeberga Sweden, 8-9 mm, in garden.

This one keys to B vespillo, but seems blue and not green.
B vespillo is also redlisted as DD in Sweden and not found since 1950, so I should be wrong somewhere in the keys ....

Help appreciated :|

Edited by skrylten on 15-05-2013 17:44

Posted by Walther Gritsch on 13-05-2013 19:16

#12

It's certainly Bellardia, no doubt about that, but rather than vespillo I think it's vulgaris. The palps seem to be yellow for most of their length and the hairing on the arista is pretty long above and definately present below.
Bellardia vespillo has all dark palps and the arista is almost bare below.
The surstyli of vulgaris point inwards, in vespillo they are straight or pointing slightly outwards.
I caught a number of B. vespillo last spring and the spring before in a forest on north Sjælland. This year I havn't seen any.
But try keying it again with vulgaris in mind!

Cheers,

Posted by skrylten on 13-05-2013 19:45

#13

Thanks for comment Walther. You are probably correct but not all seem to fit vulgaris, so still confused. I sent the photos to K Rognes earlier today, and I guess he will agree with vulgaris ...

vulgaris:
Arista plumose, with long hairs above and below.
Surstyli longer than cerci, weakly curved in profile,external groove not reaching apex.

vespillo:
Arista (including hairing) about half as wide as first flagellomere, the hairs short above and almost absent below.
Surstyli shorter than cerci, rather strongly curved, with an external groove present all the way to tip.

ID:ing diptera is fun but not the easiest task.
To my eye the surstyli is clearly shorter than cerci and bent like a banana, but as you say the palps should be darker :@

Posted by skrylten on 15-05-2013 17:43

#14

I got a great mail today from Knut Rognes...:D

Translation as follow:
---------------------------------
"Yes, it is a Bellardia vespillo (Fabricius), no doubt. You should not bother too much about the color of the abdomen, it varies by age of the individual, I think. Genitalia fits exactly. The hairs on arista is also the way I've seen it in specimens from Switzerland and the Netherlands (according to my notes). I have recorded 67 specimens of this species that I have identified:
54 from Denmark, 2 from Germany (LT, PLT), 1 from Hungary, 1 from Sweden (Hesingborg, Scania, 03/05/1913), 3 from Czech Republic, 4 from Switzerland and 2 in the Netherlands. Interesting that yours is caught May 9, compare to the only previous finding from Sweden.
---------------------------------

+60 or maybe exactly 100 years (and 6 days) since the last time its confirmed from Sweden.
And it was just outside my kitchendoor |t

/Leif