Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Anthomyiidae on a leaf (= Hydrophoria lancifer)

Posted by John Carr on 30-10-2010 23:39
#1

Massachusetts, USA in June in deciduous woods. It was having wing difficulty and couldn't fly away from me immediately. I think this is Anthomyiidae based on the strong anal vein, but the wing margin is torn and I can't say where the vein would end if the wing were intact.

farm4.static.flickr.com/3257/2592974587_978eb9baae.jpg

I have more and larger pictures at http://www.flickr...41/detail/

Similar flies (Muscidae and Anthomyiidae both, I think) are common on leaves beside trails in these woods in summer.

Edited by John Carr on 01-06-2012 22:50

Posted by javanerkelens on 31-10-2010 20:12
#2

Bit difficult to say, with only this photo.
My guess is Hydrophoria lancifer.....

Joke

Posted by John Carr on 31-10-2010 21:09
#3

javanerkelens wrote:
Bit difficult to say, with only this photo.
My guess is Hydrophoria lancifer.....

Joke


There's a link to closer pictures below the photo.

Is H. lancifer Holarctic? The references I find for it are for Europe.

Posted by javanerkelens on 31-10-2010 21:32
#4

Ha ha...indeed more photos!
H.lancifer it is!
And H.lancifer is indeed Holarctic

Joke

Posted by John Carr on 02-11-2010 08:33
#5

How can you tell genus and species? If I use the key to genera in Manual of Nearctic Diptera I can't make out some crucial hairs, e.g. I can't tell whether the katepimeron is haired. Is there a more easily visible combination of characters to identify Hydrophoria (and H. lancifer)?

Posted by javanerkelens on 02-11-2010 09:52
#6

Arista long haired.
Prealar longer than posterial notopleural seta
3 dorsal centrals
Scutellum covered with short hairs
Anterior spiracle yellowish
Wingbase strong yellowish
2 pd on hindtibia....upper one is broken on the right leg (visible on photo X9201)
and 2pd just visible on left leg on photo X9209
And tibia yellowish (not strong)

This combinations of characters makes it a H.lancifer

Joke :)

Posted by Stephen R on 04-11-2010 17:28
#7

Joke, it sounds as if you could be on the way to building up an interactive key for Anthomyiidae species. Would you consider releasing a Delta database one day? Even an incomplete one would be a wonderful thing!

Stephen (expert in making work for other people :D )

Posted by javanerkelens on 04-11-2010 23:26
#8

Would you consider releasing a Delta database one day? Even an incomplete one would be a wonderful thing!

I know that Ackland is buzy with an update of his key, and also Verner Michelsen is at present writing some proviisional keys to European Anthomyiidae.

So i wait patient ;)

Posted by John Carr on 01-06-2012 22:49
#9

Michael Ackland has identified a similar fly from the same location as Hydrophoria lancifer. The species was introduced to the Northeast USA in the 1920s.

Posted by Michael Ackland on 02-06-2012 12:15
#10

John, your Flickr photos are very good, and one can see without difficulty that they are H. lancifer.

Joke's characters (2-11-2010) for this species unfortunately also lead to Eutrichota praepotens Wied! Not Nearctic though.

It will never be possible to have a key to anthomyiid photos. One always needs a specimen to be certain.