Diptera.info

Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 09-09-2007 14:32

As for me, I'm very much puzzled of this fly :o

common seashore fly

!
My impression is rather Coenosinae than Ulidiidae, but no farther idea :@
Gabor, could you give size or any other help?
Nikita

Posted by Stephane Lebrun on 09-09-2007 14:47

I've thought just like you Nikita, but I've tried all genera (Spanochaeta, Lispe, Orchisia, Coenosia...) without success.:(
Flies are so enigmatic in Croatia ! :D

Edited by Stephane Lebrun on 09-09-2007 14:51

Posted by Xespok on 09-09-2007 15:08

I have more images, but they do not help a lot.

http://xespok.net/gallery2/main.php/v/Arthropoda/Insecta/Diptera/Unknown_Family_Diptera/?g2_page=4
.
The fly was abundant on the shore. I did not see it elsewhere.

I agree, it is more likely to be a Calyptrate fly. Actually I uploaded these images to the Unknown family folder, because I too considered many possibilities (Ulidiidae, Tethinidae, Coenosiinae)

I excluded Muscidae, because I know of no Muscids that would have a spotted wings, other than some darkenings around the veins. But now looking through the descriptions of Coenosiine flies there is at least one example for a Coenosiine Muscid to have spots on the wing. Lispe Apicalis. Could this be a Lispe apicalis. The description does not seem to match entirely.

The size was around 5 mm.

Posted by Nikita Vikhrev on 09-09-2007 15:19

I have more images, but they do not help a lot.

It helps!
This creature is from Theo or Liekele departments!
(So I think about http://www.diptera.info/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=5&thread_id=8393#post_38162)
Nikita

Posted by Xespok on 09-09-2007 15:30

Maybe U are right, the M vein seems to bend too strongly for a Muscid. Would be surprised if it turned out to be a Sarcophagid. A strange Phasiinae?

Edited by Xespok on 09-09-2007 15:31

Posted by Tony Irwin on 11-09-2007 20:09

#10

Gabor - can you edit the title to "Tachinidae?" and add one of your pictures that shows the wing venation more clearly? I'm sure we all want to know what it is, and need to tempt Theo to look at it! ;)

Posted by ChrisR on 12-09-2007 09:59

#12

Fascinating fly - but I never saw a tachinid with such a long, thin fore basitarsus :) I don't think it is a phasiine - but it might be Siphoniini...

Did you catch any? It looks like something that Theo should recognise if it is a tachinid but I'd still be interested to run it through the Central European key sometime! :D

Posted by Zeegers on 12-09-2007 17:14

#13

Well, this one baffles me.
The calyptrae are small though, so my first guess (really a guess!!) is Rhinophoridae, in which case Macrotarsina comes in mind, given the pciture.
Need to come back on this one.

Theo

Posted by Xespok on 12-09-2007 17:26

#14

If this would be a Rhinophorid, given the location where this fly was found, this fly is likely to parasitise these Crustaceans. (The photo is shot at the same locality). They are quite similar to terrestrial Isopoda, may even belong to Isopoda. Anyone knows what they would be?

Posted by Xespok on 12-09-2007 17:34

#15

J think Theo is on the right track. Macrotarsina longimana can be found in Croatia and Italy only, based on faunaeur.org. Also the name really fits for this fly, both the generic and the species name seem to refer to the strange forelegs of the male.

This should be places into a subfamily of its own, it is so different from other Rhinophorids.

Posted by Zeegers on 12-09-2007 18:06

#16

Bingo

We are looking at a couple (male and female) of Macrotarsina longimana, , of which Herting writes (translated)
'This extraordinary fly lives on rocky shores along the Adriatic Sea"

Theo

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 12-09-2007 18:35

#17

let?s go to Croatia! An expedition of diptera.info. :D ehe It would be nice. :P

Serious: Perhaps in the next year I will go to the Morocco IF I have enough crazy people to go with me. If someone it is interested let me know. Beware that it is very bad idea to drink water there...
The food is very cheap. I pretend to do camping sauvage, and just staying a few days over there. It is an idea I'm thinking about.
To search flies, of course. :D And other things... :)

Posted by ChrisR on 12-09-2007 19:09

#18

Amazing fly - can we assume that (as rhinophorids here eat Woodlice - land isopods) that Macrotarsina attack the isopods found in or around seaweed on beaches? :)

Posted by Tony Irwin on 12-09-2007 19:44

#19

The isopod that Gabor photographed appears to be Ligia italica. I don't know of any rhinophorid parasites of Ligiidae, and there are likely to be other species of woodlice on these shores. However given the abundance of flies - the Ligia do seem like a probable host. Only one way to find out - book a holiday in Croatia! B)