Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Pollenia rudis (Fabricius, 1794)?

Posted by johnes81 on 22-11-2019 10:12
#13

Hello Miguel,

The problem with rudis group is really Pollenia rudis. P. rudis can actually have golden hairs and be mistaken for angustigena and hungarica. I have two female rudis with golden hairs even on the ventral tergites 1/2. I also have photos that appear to show golden hairs but it is lighting because i look through my microscope and all hairs are black. You post photos but i am not able to tell if it is lighting or not. You have to look through a microscope and at various angles with varying intensity of light. One must see golden hairs and not think that the hairs are golden.

The cerci of the ovipositor are thinner at the base than they should be for rudis. The ovipositor is not properly dissected which makes determination based upon ovipositor extremely difficult. The lateral sacs and spermathecae would help.

I've answered your private message and i've included a link to a document about the rudis group by Dr. Rognes. He has drawings to help you. The av hairs are most prominent on the males. I will include a photo of a male t3. My photo also shows golden hairs on the tergites which is actually strong lighting. The hairs are all black. I've dissected the male in the photo and it is P. rudis.

Trust your judgement of golden hairs when looking through a microscope. If you see golden hairs, then you can label it hungarica because the cerci will also support this identification. Otherwise, you can safely label it as P. rudis.

Please check your private messages.

Best wishes,
John