Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Sepsidae with bubble. -> Sepsis cynipsea ?

Posted by Ray Perry on 20-10-2017 16:23
#1

5-7mm long - garden, Flensburg, Germany.
On an old radish plant which keeps on flowering even though it has some mature seed pods. There were 5 to 10 Sepsidae on the plant. Most were fairly active, running around and flying from one leaf or flower to the next. This one, however, was comparatively passive. I photographed it between 15.05pm and 15.34pm. In all this time it had a bubble at it's mouth and remained in the vicinity of one flower; at first on the petal, then onto the flower stem where it excreted liquid from it's abdomen and it wiped of with it's hind legs, then it wiped/massaged it's thorax and wings then returned to the petals.

Video of it wiping off the rear droplets and it's wing:-
https://www.youtu...qlyGqueB9w

Edited by Ray Perry on 21-10-2017 14:28

Posted by Paul Beuk on 20-10-2017 16:38
#2

Sepsis sp. Nice account. :)

Posted by Steve Crellin on 20-10-2017 16:42
#3

The last photo hints at a notched fore tibia so it might just be S. cynipsea. Would it be possible to enlarge the area around that leg?

Posted by Ray Perry on 20-10-2017 20:48
#4

Thanks Steve. Here's a good image of the legs, taken at 15.09pm.
Does this show the notch you're talking about?
Does the notch also imply that it's a male?

Edited by Ray Perry on 20-10-2017 22:03

Posted by Ray Perry on 20-10-2017 20:59
#5

and here is an enlargement of the last from my row of images.
Taken at 15.06pm

It was good spotting on your part Steve|t

Thank You very much.
Ray

Posted by Ray Perry on 20-10-2017 21:54
#6

Sepsidnet has an excellent image showing the notched fore tibia of Sepsis cynipsea:-
http://sepsidnet-...ipsea.html

Posted by Steve Crellin on 21-10-2017 09:30
#7

Thanks Ray, cynipsea looks likely with this one.