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 Hemyda?
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 27-08-2006 11:25
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 Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
26.08.2006, two specimens were collected on leaves of Urtica dioica, others were seen on flowers of Solidago canadensis. Size 8mm. |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 27-08-2006 11:26
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
Another view. |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 27-08-2006 11:27
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
The head. |
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| Zeegers |
Posted on 27-08-2006 12:19
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Member Location: Posts: 18446 Joined: 21.07.04 |
Right. It is Hemyda obscuripennis. Theo Zeegers |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 27-08-2006 18:40
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
Many thanks Theo. |
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| jorgemotalmeida |
Posted on 27-08-2006 18:48
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 Member Location: Posts: 9295 Joined: 05.06.06 |
Awesome head! What a shot! |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 27-08-2006 19:30
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
2 jorgemotalmeida: thanks a lot - I also like how it looks like - pretty bare when compared with most of other Tachinidae - I'd say the fly has rather funny habits, somewhat spider-like, running around on leaves and changing its position. |
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| Tony Irwin |
Posted on 27-08-2006 20:04
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 Member Location: Posts: 7168 Joined: 19.11.04 |
It's an intriguing thought that this might be a spider mimic, and your pictures certainly give this impression. But I wonder whether being a spider mimic would offer any advantage to the fly? Most birds readily eat spiders, so there's no advantage there. Something to ponder on ...
Tony ---------- Tony Irwin |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 27-08-2006 22:07
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 Administrator Location: Posts: 7699 Joined: 12.07.04 |
I saw H.vitata about a month ago and I was surprised by it's strange behaviour. Scurrying around on leaves, like a lot of tachinids, but in a very drunken way - very odd. I am not sure it was like a spider though - the colouration is similar to flies like Xylota segnis or ichneumons. |
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| jorgemotalmeida |
Posted on 27-08-2006 22:18
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Member Location: Posts: 9295 Joined: 05.06.06 |
Tony Irwin wrote: It's an intriguing thought that this might be a spider mimic, and your pictures certainly give this impression. But I wonder whether being a spider mimic would offer any advantage to the fly? Most birds readily eat spiders, so there's no advantage there. Something to ponder on ... Really the legs of this tachinid resembles to me a very strong appearance with spiders! And the odd locomotion is intriguing! Perhaps it likes vodka.  Are there anymore tachinid that shows this behaviour? Where can I find easily this tachinid? I am very interesting to see that so peculiar movement! Thank you! |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 28-08-2006 07:38
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
Well spiders was the first thing that came into my mind when I saw that fly with its crooked legs, maybe I was wrong about it. Since I saw at least half a dozen of specimens in one day, both on leaves and on flowers, I guess it is rather common (in right time at right location). |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 28-08-2006 10:36
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Administrator Location: Posts: 7699 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Hemyda vitata is quite rare in England - and restricted to areas of old/ancient woodland. Not sure about H.obscuripennis in Europe though - but I am guessing it is commoner because phasiines tend to like warmer climates |
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| Zeegers |
Posted on 28-08-2006 17:21
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Member Location: Posts: 18446 Joined: 21.07.04 |
Are these from Moscow ? According to www.faunaeur.org, Moscow is far north of the 'known' distribution. Theo |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 28-08-2006 18:50
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
Yes they are Theo (Naro-Fominsk, ca. 70km SW of Moscow) |
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| Zeegers |
Posted on 28-08-2006 21:18
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Member Location: Posts: 18446 Joined: 21.07.04 |
Well, that is surprisingly north. Thanks Theo |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 29-08-2006 19:14
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
Another visual evidence: today I've seen one more specimen on the underside of Tilia cordata leaf at the edge of a pine forest (less than 1km away from the previous location). |
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| Zeegers |
Posted on 29-08-2006 20:50
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Member Location: Posts: 18446 Joined: 21.07.04 |
don't get me wrong: your pictures are much more convincing than the older russian literature! The occurence of H. obscuripennis might be quite new: the species is expending north as are many other Phasiinae. Often quite rapidly. Global warming. Theo Zeegers |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 30-08-2006 07:55
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
Please don't get me wrong, too Theo  - maybe it's just another proof that Tachinidae were not frequently (if ever) collected and/or observed at my location. |
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| Dmitry Gavryushin |
Posted on 30-08-2006 11:34
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Member Location: Posts: 3303 Joined: 17.10.05 |
I've found a host record (for Japan) - Arma custos, Pentatomidae (Nishiyama, M. M. Iwasa, and K. Hori. 1995. Parasitism by tachinid flies (Diptera, Tachinidae) of heteropterous insects in Tokachi, Hokkaido. Japanese Journal of Entomology 63(1):159-165.) |
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