#2
Chloropidae, Chloropinae: Thaumatomyia hallandica Andersson, 1966. In earlier times before its description this species was treated as "Thaumatomyia obscurella auctt. nec Zetterstedt". It occurs throughout the whole Palaearctic Region and has its optimal habitat on salt-influenced inland soils and in wet saltmarshes of the sea. Several ecolocical results can be found in my study from the coast of the North-Sea (Spixiana Suppl. 6 (1981): 1-416 [books free of charge are still available from me]). Within two weeks in June, 1m² ungrazed salt marsh released up to 129 specimens into a photoeclector covering the same area. Sursprisingly, also on high alpine wet meadows along streams the species can be abundant. On an area of 1m² Festuca rubra grassland during one day at most 485 specimens were caught by an eclector. It belongs to the Thaumatomyia species which lacks the distinctive eversible odor vesicles at the lateral hind end of the abdomen of males (but present in some congeneric species, e.g. T. notata). Larvae are developing in the soil as predators of root aphids (Pemphigidae). The apical scutellar setae are approximated, different from those in the genus Chlorops. The head appears as if blown up. A nice and typical image!