Posted by mwkozlowski on 25-10-2007 18:46
#1
sometimes I see robber flies ovipositing into an ear of a grass; is it a commen manner or specific to a special group and is it possible to identify the specie on the pic.?
thanks...
Posted by Paul Beuk on 25-10-2007 19:08
#2
Seeing bent setae on top of the head I would say a
Neoitamus species. These have been reported to oviposit in this way.
Posted by Danny Wolff on 25-10-2007 22:50
#3
Sorry Paul, but this is clearly not a Neoitamus. The occipital setae are not bent forward in the typical Neoitamus - way, but are rather straight and short. Maybe a detail of the head with a higher resolution would show this character more clearly.
This is a female of the Dysmachus-group, most probably Didysmachus picipes. Knowing the place where the picture was taken (this data should always be given when starting a thread) would probably help to confirm the ID.
There are only a few asilid genera with modified ovipositor like Dysmachus, Didysmachus and Eutolmus where ovipositing into different parts of grasses is known. The ovipositor is strongly compressed from the side and the cerci are incorporated in the ninth tergit. This is a adaptation to the way of egg-laying.
Greetings, Danny Wolff
Posted by mwkozlowski on 27-10-2007 10:47
#4
many thaks for your response, unfortunately, cloe up of the head will not look better due to resolution (this is a frame from a movie camera). Picture from meadow near forest, June 2006 very middle of Poland
Edited by mwkozlowski on 27-10-2007 10:52