Diptera.info

Posted by piros on 24-07-2019 15:46

Dear Forum!
I took these two (bad...) photographs of robber fly in early July and late May, respectively, near Faliraki, Rhodes.
Dispite the poor quality of the pics, I think I was able to tentatively ID the species as Scylaticus miniatus ( both females) by using the photographs and key here:

https://m.miketaylornaturalist.co.uk/upload/Stylaticus%20miniatus%20Beck.%20Figured%20diagnosis.xlsx

and also by the description given here:

https://archive.org/stream/annaleshistoric131915term/annaleshistoric131915term_djvu.txt

However, this species name is not listed in Fauna Europaea or in BioLib.

Is Scylaticus miniatus an ivalid name? And if yes, what is the valid name now?

Thanks for any help!

Greetings,
Henrik

Edited by piros on 24-07-2019 15:47

Posted by Quaedfliegh on 24-07-2019 20:54

In my opinion this is a Habropogon cf longicornis also the pictures in Mike's paper concern a Habropogon sp. Please note the short legs and metatarsi.

Posted by piros on 26-07-2019 10:19

Thank you!
Does it mean that "Scylaticus miniatus" is in fact Habropogon?

(I guess that the correct name is Habropogon longiventris, right?)

Greetings,
Henrik

Posted by Quaedfliegh on 26-07-2019 11:37

Ahum, yes.... longiventris.

And no, I don't think they are synonym, Scylaticus should have long legs with normal metatarsi. Scylaticus looks rather similar to Stenopogon but with a differently shaped head. In my opinion M Taylor misidentified his specimens.