Hey dipterists
I've got in a same sample 4 S. larvae
I wish to go ahead in the ID...
I know I have already, thanks to Atylotus, Oplodontha viridula
Here is a picture of the 4 larvae, respecting their dimensions
I guess that the biggest one (35 mm) will be Odontomyia
My question is "are the pattern of the cuticule something usefull to ID ?
As visible nr2 has a short white strip on the thoracic segments, the 4 th one a long white strip over all the segments
for short: yes it is usefull
longer version: I have a theory that color pattern differ in each species but probably also differ within a species. I think that each species has 2 different color patterns and propably (not proven yet) these are related to male and female larvae. At least 2 color patterns exist withing O. viridula and I was able to breed few and indeed the females had another colorpattern than males, but this is not enough prove. Any help in this is appreciated.
The large larvae (1) is O. ornata, no. 2 and 4 are both O. viridula and 3 probably Od. tigrina juvenile.
atylotus wrote:
I have a theory that color pattern differ in each species but probably also differ within a species. I think that each species has 2 different color patterns and propably (not proven yet) these are related to male and female larvae. At least 2 color patterns exist withing O. viridula and I was able to breed few and indeed the females had another colorpattern than males, but this is not enough prove. Any help in this is appreciated.
Adler, Currie, and Wood (2004) mentioned sex-specific color patterns in larve of some North American Simuliidae.
