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hello Flyforum,

On 20-02 I found the caterpillar of Phlogophora meticulosa in the center of Amsterdam.
I kept it in a little box, where it went into some ground.

Today 7-03 I got surprised to see some(3) flies in the box. I did not order them!
It are Tachinidae sp. and perhabs Lydella sp.?

I took some pictures of a female:

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picture 2

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Certainly looks like a tachinid - but if those eyes are hairy then it can't be Lydella. Would be nice to see the face from the side and the front too My guess is Phryxe nemea, which is a known parasitoid of Phlogophora meticulosa.

See http://tachinidae...brcno=6104

Chris R.

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hi Chris,

I will take some new pictures from the face soon.
What I have seen, there where blond haires on the eyes.
On the first picture you can see some of them..

thank you for your reaction

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I agree, Chris
This could/should be a male Phryxe nemea


Theo

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Thanks again Chris and Theo.

I was wondering why this is a male?, how do you see?

On pictures underneath you see the blond hair on the eyes.

Robert,

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detail eyes

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Yes, I'd be even more inclined to call it Phryxe nemea I think Theo would be sexing it using the presence of proclinate parafrontal bristles, but I can never remember this rule

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''the presence of proclinate parafrontal bristles''

I have to study this, let's see how many males and females I have..

My first Tachinidae sp. of this year!

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Rule of thumb: males have vertex smaller, thus no proclinate orbitals (simply no space).
females have vertex broader, thus 2 pair of proclinate orbitals.

All kind of exceptions do exist. Like Phryxe males:
vertex broad, yet still no proclinate orbitals in males.

Robert, take a female and look below the vertex between the eyes, the proclinate (=voorwaarts gerichte) orbitals can't be missed.


Theo

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I have checked the proclinate orbitals.
It are two females and one male.

female;

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male