Posted by
paqui on 28-07-2006 11:08
#2
oh my, i can only say they seem 2 different males to me
here you are male?s keys:
1- Vertex with on row of short white hairs----2
-- vertex with onme row of long white hairs, eyes with grey shor pubescence, abdomen with a wide dorsal black stripe-- A. flavoguttatus
2- Abdomen with yellow pilosity, in case it has black hairs too, they don?t form bands or defined spots---3
-- abdomen with black pilosity, forming bands or spots---5
3- abdomen with a dark stripe, narrow at least the 2 first tergites and becoming wider---- 4
-- abd black except from 2 areas yellow-reddish at the sides of tergites 2-3----A .rusticus
4- Head very wide--- A.fulvus
-- head more narrow, approx the same width of thorax---- A. loewianus
5- femora dark grey, at least at the basal half--- A latistriatus
-- femora yellow----6
6- abdomen with a wide black stripe and dark pilosity at lateral sides of tergites--- A agrestis
-- abd yellow-brown with 4 black stripes---A quadrifarius
*about quadrifarius it?s recorded from zones in mediterranean sea: spain, portugal--- russia, maybe not really common at NE france

*about falvoguttatus: recorded in spain, south of france, austria, turkey.
this records info is from 2002, maybe out of date...
i have descriptions of each species, but i let Tony puts his money on wghat he wants, not mine again

Posted by
Zeegers on 30-07-2006 15:53
#3
Back from holiday I find these beautiful horsefly pictures.
I have little doubt that, given the locality, the species is A. rusticus.
They can be quite like latistriatus. Have a look at Alan Stubbs'plates and you will find a clear rusticus with a pair of dark vittae on tergites.
The males can have quite large yellow lateral spots on abdomen.
Theo Zeegers