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 Chloropidae - Gaurax AND Thaumatomyia
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| Sundew |
Posted on 03-12-2007 00:51
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 Member Location: Posts: 3890 Joined: 28.07.07 |
Hello, In my collection of dead flies I have several specimens of Thaumatomyia, and I'd like to show you the two least damaged ones. I know it's a difficult genus, but I suppose my flies belong to different species. The dark thorax patterns are of different shapes, and the hair cover of the second specimen's thorax (and also frons?) seems to be much denser. If there is a difference in seta number and position is difficult to estimate, as many setae of the first specimen are gone. I reckon none of them is Th. notata, as this one should have three parallel dark bars on the thorax and also a dark triangle on the frons. However, I have no idea about the infraspecific variability of the colour pattern. Is there anybody in the community who knows more? Thanks in advance, Sundew This is specimen 1: Edited by Sundew on 05-12-2007 22:08 |
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| Sundew |
Posted on 03-12-2007 00:52
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Member Location: Posts: 3890 Joined: 28.07.07 |
This is specimen 2: |
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| Kahis |
Posted on 03-12-2007 08:22
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 Member Location: Posts: 1999 Joined: 02.09.04 |
You have found something much more interesting that some boring old Thaumatomyia!  The costa (wing vein following the leading edge of the wing) reaching the end of vein M1+2, which leads to subfamily Oscinellinae. Gaurax is the only oscinellinid genus I know with such bold yellow markings. Gaurax flies live on dead wood and they are not easy to find. Kahis |
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| Sundew |
Posted on 04-12-2007 18:07
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Member Location: Posts: 3890 Joined: 28.07.07 |
Well, that's a good surprise! They were easy to find between the window panes . And we can even see the hairy eyes! However, to get to species names is probably as difficult as in Thaumatomyia, I guess  . Some (tropical?) species are said to parasitize the egg cocoons of spiders - in this case there would have been plenty of food, as several Zygiella x-notata specimens lived between the windows. More probable, though, is that the spiders lived on the fly imagines...Many thanks for teaching me a new genus, Sundew |
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| Sundew |
Posted on 05-12-2007 22:07
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Member Location: Posts: 3890 Joined: 28.07.07 |
In order to round off the discussion I add a picture that, in my opinion, should show the "boring old " Thaumatomyia indeed. Did I understand correctly that the difference in wing venation is given by the ending of the costa already at the arrow tip? Thanks for explanation and confirmation, Sundew |
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| Kahis |
Posted on 05-12-2007 22:24
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Member Location: Posts: 1999 Joined: 02.09.04 |
Exactly.
Kahis |
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but don't see the image in the post.