Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Tachinidae head??

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 26-11-2006 21:33
#1
HI


* locality - Silgueiros - Viseu - PORTUGAL
* date - 26.11.2006
* size - 7 mm (medium fly)
* habitat - open land
* substrate - granite/lichen

Tachinidae fly? Orbital bristles crossed...

thank you!

static.flickr.com/103/306709305_2dd325e3a7.jpg

to see it bigger (very recommended) go here:
http://www.flickr...eam&size=l

Posted by Tony Irwin on 26-11-2006 22:18
#2
Mmmm .. it has a muscid jizz.
Lovely photo! Cool

Posted by Zeegers on 27-11-2006 09:45
#3
I agree with Tony,

lovely photo, though no Tachinid


Theo

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 29-11-2006 11:32
#4
here is another photo I took to the same fly.
with "bubblegum" (yes, I read about this in this forum - with lord v photos!)

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 14-12-2006 02:29
#5
Musca cf. autumnalis? right? ...

Posted by bioimages on 14-12-2006 12:32
#6
Think I've worked out what's going on when flies blow bubbles (actually droplets rather than bubbles.)

The labellum of the fly's proboscis sucks up liqud food thru numerous fine tubes. From time to time these tubes must get blocked. To clear blockages the fly reverses the flow and blows a droplet which is then sucked back in. Seem to remember from animal physiology lectures many years ago that fish use a similar "reverse thrust" to clear their gills.

Apologies if this is old news!
Malcolm Storey

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 14-12-2006 17:17
#7
there are other hypothesis that were talked here in diptera.info -. It seems there is no consense about this issue...
I think, for example, that cleaning could be made by other ways... perhaps blowing air...


I wonder what is the real composition of that droplet?... (general composition)