Diptera.info

Posted by Sundew on 19-10-2007 18:07

Hi,
This is the last of the dead ones for today (again found on the window sill, photographed under the stereo microscope.) Here I am quite sure that the family is Cecidomyiidae. The orange body colour is seen as well as the hairy wings, and the long articulated antennae with their typical bristles are also characteristic. I do not hope for genus ID but would be glad to get a confirmation of the family. - The scale bar on the lower right gives mm.
Thanks, Sundew

Posted by Sundew on 20-10-2007 23:26

So are your kamikaze specimens bigger than mine? Without my glasses, I would never have found it - it measures just 2 mm, even if the body might be somewhat shrunk by drying. If the animals would not come in swarms I would hardly spot them hitting the computer screen...
If this is really a gall midge, I would like to know which plant it prefers. However, I learned that not all Cecidomyiid larvae develop in plant galls, some also prey on aphids or other small insects. There are very interesting life cycles in the family - I wished I could watch that more closely! I find small animals (and also small flowers) much more fascinating than the big ones, perhaps because their beauty is is not obvious to our naked eye.
Sundew

Posted by Juergen Peters on 20-10-2007 23:36

Hello!

Sundew wrote:
So are your kamikaze specimens bigger than mine? Without my glasses, I would never have found it - it measures just 2 mm

2 mm? That runs under "bigger ones" here ;) (Ostwestfalen/Germany). The one below (5 days ago at the light) was only about 0.8 mm. Very difficult to photograph sharply :(, like her "cousins" from Ceratopogonidae, Psychodidae etc. here:
http://insektenfo...adid=11307

Edited by Juergen Peters on 20-10-2007 23:36

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 20-10-2007 23:42

Sundew wrote:
So are your kamikaze specimens bigger than mine? Without my glasses, I would never have found it - it measures just 2 mm, even if the body might be somewhat shrunk by drying. If the animals would not come in swarms I would hardly spot them hitting the computer screen...
If this is really a gall midge, I would like to know which plant it prefers. However, I learned that not all Cecidomyiid larvae develop in plant galls, some also prey on aphids or other small insects. There are very interesting life cycles in the family - I wished I could watch that more closely! I find small animals (and also small flowers) much more fascinating than the big ones, perhaps because their beauty is is not obvious to our naked eye.
Sundew

"my" Cecidomyiidae flies have 1 mm. ;) Right now I saw another Cecidomyiid coming visit my monitor. :) They are pretty easy to see because my bulb lamp has 100 W. LOL

Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 20-10-2007 23:44

Posted by Sundew on 21-10-2007 00:06

Wow, then I got a big one! (Well, you see the mm scale; strictly speaking it is less than 2 mm long.)
Jorge, you should think of an energy-saving lamp ;).
Juergen, would you please tell me what camera do you use? Is it a digital SLR or a bridge digital camera? With a compact one it should hardly be possible to get such fine pictures of minute flies. I know that only too well.
Greetings, Sundew

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 21-10-2007 00:18

Sundew wrote:
Wow, then I got a big one! (Well, you see the mm scale; strictly speaking it is less than 2 mm long.)
Jorge, you should think of an energy-saving lamp ;).
Juergen, would you please tell me what camera do you use? Is it a digital SLR or a bridge digital camera? With a compact one it should hardly be possible to get such fine pictures of minute flies. I know that only too well.
Greetings, Sundew

no worries. :) Here this is the only non-bulb lamp halogen. I buy always the bulb lamps halogen.

Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 21-10-2007 00:20

Posted by Juergen Peters on 21-10-2007 00:38

#10

Hello, Sundew!

Sundew wrote:
Juergen, would you please tell me what camera do you use? Is it a digital SLR or a bridge digital camera?

It's a Panasonic DMC-FZ30 with macro lens Raynox M-250.