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 A fly on trunk of Populus tremula
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 08-07-2006 21:04
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 Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
July 08, 2006. Size 7mm. It would take off, cruise for a while and return to sit on the bark (of a pine tree nearby, too). Exposed its long proboscis. Edited by Dmitry Gavryushin on 08-07-2006 21:06 |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 08-07-2006 21:05
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
One more view. |
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| Nikita Vikhrev |
Posted on 08-07-2006 21:08
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 Member Location: Posts: 9193 Joined: 24.05.05 |
As far as I know, it is Aphria sp., Tachinidae. Nikita Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 08-07-2006 21:11
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
OK thanks (I nicked the family again!) |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 08-07-2006 22:38
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 Administrator Location: Posts: 7699 Joined: 12.07.04 |
I think it looks more like Prosena siberita - was the arista plumose? (Aphria is smaller and darker and the proboscis isn't as long - see http://tachinidae...rcno=13001) 
Edited by ChrisR on 08-07-2006 22:50 |
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| Nikita Vikhrev |
Posted on 08-07-2006 22:59
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Member Location: Posts: 9193 Joined: 24.05.05 |
In this case Chris http://www.rosfoto.ru/shop/photo/42525/ and http://www.rosfoto.ru/shop/photo/42524/ are misID as Aphria? Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 08-07-2006 23:06
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Administrator Location: Posts: 7699 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Hi Nikita, in my opinion those are both Prosena siberita again - that's certainly what I would call them in England - if the arista is plumose  Just look at those legs - they are long and thin, like other dexiines (Thelaira etc) 
Edited by ChrisR on 08-07-2006 23:10 |
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| Nikita Vikhrev |
Posted on 08-07-2006 23:13
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Member Location: Posts: 9193 Joined: 24.05.05 |
In my key Aphria 6-8mm, Prosena - 10-12; but Aphria black legs, Prosena - yellow with black tarsi. More probable that Black gave us smaller size, as legs colour is clearly visible. Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 08-07-2006 23:23
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Administrator Location: Posts: 7699 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Well, don't forget that the size they give is the average size for normal specimens. There are always small ones because the development of a parasitoid is dependent on the development of its host - sick, weak host = small parasitoid. I have a tiny Tachina fera here - about 8mm or less. The difficult thing with these photos is that the antennae and arista are not clear. If it was clearly plumose then the keying would be easy and it would go very fast to Prosena I think  |
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| Nikita Vikhrev |
Posted on 08-07-2006 23:30
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Member Location: Posts: 9193 Joined: 24.05.05 |
At least Chris, there are only two genus of Tachinidae with such proboscis, I hope?
Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 08-07-2006 23:50
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Administrator Location: Posts: 7699 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Well, Siphona have a long proboscis but theirs is hinged I caught Rhamphina pedemontana in the Pyrennes one year (see photo) but this species carries the proboscis under the body I think - and it is mainly southern in distribution. It's a superb fly - the same size as a large Eurithia sp.
Edited by ChrisR on 08-07-2006 23:50 |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 09-07-2006 10:55
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
Hi guys I almost missed the case again. First, I underestimated the size just as Nikita suggested (2 collected specimens are 9mm). Second, aristae are hairy. Third, legs are reddish (with tarsi rather dark). I'll upload more images soon. |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 09-07-2006 12:06
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
Here's a lateral view. |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 15-07-2006 21:26
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
A week has passed, and I decided to check this tree. And voila, these nice flies were still swarming there. I also spotted more flies, roughlu the same location eithin the range of 1km, strictly on P. tremula, and just single flies. Those were much calmer, and I easily picked one with my hand. |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 16-07-2006 10:19
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Administrator Location: Posts: 7699 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Lovely photos, as usual. I saw something similar to Prosena here in England 2 days ago but I didn't get my net on it fast enough - here they much be much faster! |
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| Kahis |
Posted on 16-07-2006 17:36
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 Member Location: Posts: 1999 Joined: 02.09.04 |
...or englishmen are much slower. Naah, can't be. I have never seen this fly in my life. Too fast for me to see - maybe faster than local lightspeed? 
Kahis |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 16-07-2006 17:41
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Administrator Location: Posts: 7699 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Actually, I don't think I have seen one flying (except maybe that one yesterday - and now we'll never know) ... all the ones in my collection were nice and slow ... and pickled in alcohol from my Malaise trap! |
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| Tony Irwin |
Posted on 16-07-2006 21:05
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 Member Location: Posts: 7168 Joined: 19.11.04 |
I remember seeing these and catching them off tree trunks (with a little bit of difficulty) - but that was over thirty years ago!!!  Maybe Irish Prosena are a bit slower?
Tony ---------- Tony Irwin |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 17-07-2006 20:38
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
Today just in a couple of minutes I collected four more flies on the same aspen using only plastic film boxes. My opinion still is that these flies are not slow but lacking some wit unlike Muscidae which hardly would let one catch them with one's (almost) bare hands. They were absent at 11a.m. but were alreadt there at 15.30 when I returned to the tree to check again. I also saw single sitting flies on old poplars, all covered with yellow lichens (Xanthoria parietina I believe), along the railroad. |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 27-08-2006 11:01
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
Yesterday I've found out that P. siberita occurs as late as late August and also visits flowers (Solidago canadensis, widely introduced here and rich source of flies, especially Syrphidae, Tachinidae, and Conopidae - highly recommended ). |
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