Diptera.info

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 30-08-2008 22:46

dear friends

* locality - North of SPAIN
* date - 2008.08.29
* size - about 0,8 mm (very tiny fly)
* habitat - near national "carretera" (road) with Lactuca sp, Taraxacum sp., Helianthus annuus field, etc etc, in an abandoned railroad...
* substrate - caught with the entomological net, maybe in one flower.. I was trying to catch another fly.. ;)

I'm so baffling with this "fantasticafabulous" fly. It is my very first Mtyhicomyiidae. You cannot imagine my great happinness when I spotted it in the North of Spain! And the size is baffling: only 0,8 mm (more or less). Very tiny. And it is among one of the smallest flies. So tiny that even proboscis just can be seen if we getting approach to the fly very, very close.
Well, this has a different wing venation comparing with the similar Platypygus genus.

I could observe the fly alive: it jumps a lot. It stands quiet a few minutes or sometimes seconds, and then jumps. I can imagine it standing on a leaf or petal and jumping to another very close surface. That big and strong proboscis (in relation to the fly) could leave us thinking as a predator, but the fly just feed on nectar.

I would like to know which is the host for this mythicomyiid too...

It was a pity that this fly last so little time. :( It was ko when I reached at home.

the irony was that in the 28th I was kidding with Isidro about these flies... seeing them inside a camion full of them (and also for Nemestrinidae. lol) and the impossibility to find them in North of Spain. :P

Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 01-09-2008 09:29

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 30-08-2008 22:47

another...

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 30-08-2008 22:49

another..

Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 30-08-2008 23:28

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 30-08-2008 22:50

another..

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 30-08-2008 22:52

another...

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 31-08-2008 00:54

could this be an Empidideicus sp. ?

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 31-08-2008 01:07

confirmed (8 minutes later! that was quick!). Neal Evenhuis told that this is an Empidideicus. There are two species (hispanicus and hackmani). In next week we will know the species. :)

It is a great fly!

Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 31-08-2008 01:11

Posted by David Gibbs on 31-08-2008 15:21

This is the species i have called Empidideicus hackmani

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 31-08-2008 15:22

Thanks, David. Hopefully, Neal Evenhuis will confirm your id. :)

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 31-08-2008 18:42

#10

another photo. crap photo. Only to show it alive. As I was afraid that the fly could escape, I kept it in the vial. Unfortunately the vial has a red cover. :( And it is made by a plastic that doesn't enable to take clear photos. This only serves to show the pose of Empidideicus alive.

Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 31-08-2008 18:43

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 01-09-2008 09:31

#11

Confirmed. Neal Evenhuis told: "It is Empidideicus hackmani Fran?ois, 1969. I do not think there are any specimens known except from the holotype so this is a good find!!" (David also has found this fly. :))
Thanks David and Neal. :)

Posted by crex on 01-09-2008 10:39

#12

Well done, mr Almeida! B)

Posted by conopid on 01-09-2008 14:29

#13

Very neat looking tiny fly:)

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 01-09-2008 19:33

#14

thanks a lot for the complitments crex and conopid.

The fly is awesome. it is really extremely tiny. It cannot be pinned. Only kept in ethanol or dhmf. (there is another way, without any liquid)

Posted by Lukasz Mielczarek on 05-09-2008 22:00

#15

I have found very small Mythicomyiidae fly in Crimea.
I think it is Cyrtosia sp. I catch only 2 in yellow trap.

Now I can't add better picture:p

Lukas

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 05-09-2008 22:40

#16

mythicomyiidae, yes.. but hardly I can see any more with this specimen.
we need a clear wing venation photo.