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Posted by Morten A Mjelde on 16-08-2022 18:40

This fly flew around low in sparse vegetation (like a Tachinid). What family does this belong to? Southern Norway, Agder 14 August. 7.3 mm.

Edited by Morten A Mjelde on 21-09-2022 09:43

Posted by Morten A Mjelde on 15-09-2022 14:35

I'm still curious about this fly. It has some kind of subscutellum - could it be Tachinidae?

Posted by Stephen R on 15-09-2022 15:41

Hi Morten. I'm not an expert, but I had a go at this with the T&H key and arrived at Loewia foeda (male). But don't take my word for it!
Best wishes,
Stephen.

Posted by Morten A Mjelde on 15-09-2022 16:30

#10

Cool! Thank you very much! You may very well be right!

Morten

Posted by Zeegers on 19-09-2022 19:42

#11

I'm not sure. The petiole in the wing venation is very long for foeda and the second antennal segment is nearly always yellow in female foeda, at least in Central European ones.

Did you consider L. erecta Bergstroem, 2007 ?

Theo

Posted by Morten A Mjelde on 19-09-2022 21:38

#13

Thank you!
It seems that L. erecta has been found in Norway. It is not described in The Tachinids (Diptera: Tachinidae) of Central Europe. How do you distinguish them from the other Loewia?

Posted by John Carr on 19-09-2022 23:52

#14

Morten A Mjelde wrote:
Thank you!
It seems that L. erecta has been found in Norway. It is not described in The Tachinids (Diptera: Tachinidae) of Central Europe. How do you distinguish them from the other Loewia?

Bergström, Christer. 2007. Loewia erecta n.sp. (Diptera: Tachinidae) — a new parasitic fly from Fennoscandia and Poland. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde 708 https://www.biodi...pdf/293087

Posted by Morten A Mjelde on 20-09-2022 17:34

#15

Thank you so much, John! I'll see if I can figure it out from the link.

Morten

Posted by Morten A Mjelde on 20-09-2022 19:28

#16

With yellow-brown halters and a size of 7.3 mm, I think this is keyed out to the foeda. (with the exception of the 2nd antennal segment) L. erecta keys out as L. phaeoptera or occasionally as L. adjuncta in the hitherto available keys.

Morten

Posted by Zeegers on 20-09-2022 20:45

#17

I agree that 7.3 mm typical foeda-size is.
That said, other features are aberrant. Scandinavian foeda in my collection are typical.
So either you have an aberrant individual or something is off….

Theo

Posted by Morten A Mjelde on 20-09-2022 22:02

#18

..Or it is an undescribed species..

Thanks for your help.

Morten

Posted by Zeegers on 21-09-2022 07:33

#19

that qualifies as “off” as well.
Better not jump to conclusions and wait for a second specimen.

Theo