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Posted by varganimrod on 13-02-2023 16:23

Hello! I found this today (February 13) in Austria, the height was 1,73 km approximately. I think, that this is a Calliphoridae species. So, thorax is blackish, abdomen is dark green, and arista is clearly hairy. Please, could you help me to identify this species?

Posted by eklans on 14-02-2023 13:52

Hi, it's a demanding one! I think it's a Protocalliphora sp. but I'm familiar with P. azurea only - which does not match. I guess it could be a male P. peusi.
(based on "Blow flies", Olga Sivell and "Blow flies of Fennoscandia", Knut Rognes)

Posted by varganimrod on 14-02-2023 19:26

Hello! Thank you very much! I expected Protocalliphora as well, but I had a problem with it. About my key, Protocalliphora has acrostichal bristles in the thorax, but in this specimen, I don’t see them. About my key, the genus Protophormia doesn’t have acrostichal bristles, but, the only species what occurs in Austria is terranovae, and this is surely not terranovae. Or did i miss something, and is there Protocalliphora with acrostichal bristles? Or P. peusi is a species, what doesn’t have these?

Greetings, Nimród

Posted by eklans on 15-02-2023 09:32

#10

Hello Nimród, P. peusi has acrs, too, and we don't see it. That led me to Protophormia firstly. The other Protophormia, atriceps, is an arctic species and is similiar in colour to terraenovae. Your image 4 shows the wings in a typical Protocalliphora fashion and the frons could be "twice the width of the ocellar triangle".
On distribution:
Rognes: P. peusi widely distributed in Europe (Peus, 1960, Schumnann, 1986)
Sivell: P. peusi in A, CZ, SK, DE... (Draber-Mońko, 2004)
Do you have more images (tibia 1 and 2 face with flash)?

Posted by eklans on 15-02-2023 16:44

#14

Thanks, but unfortunately the resolution is not good enough to see the hairs on t3 or if there ae 1 or 2 pv bristles on t1.
I've recognised another character in the Rognes key to point to P. peusi (plus others that don't appear in Austria): "Calypters, including morgins, rather pure white.
But after all, it's not enough to name the species with confidence, I think. Especially because no acrs can be seen...

Posted by varganimrod on 15-02-2023 17:24

#15

In picture 7 I see the white calypters. But, I understand if it is not enought, to name this species.

Thank you very much for your help!

Posted by eklans on 15-02-2023 18:42

#17

As far as I know, Bellardia's frons is distinctly narrower and they hold there wings in delta-style like the other Calliphorinae.

Edited by eklans on 15-02-2023 18:43

Posted by Zeegers on 21-02-2023 14:40

#18

It cries out Protophormia all over to me - which makes also more sense given date.
Yes, the calypters looks white, but they can seem quite light from a distance in Protophormia. And ACR are lacking, as already observed by all of you.
A close-up of the calypters might help.

Theo

Posted by varganimrod on 21-02-2023 17:23

#19

Hello! Thank you! I’m sorry, but I have just this from the calypter, in this picture they are maybe visible. So, if this is a Protophormia sp, why it has as black colour? Because I haven’t seen any Protophormia in the internet, what has as dark and blackish colour. Or is this maybe an abberration?

Posted by Zeegers on 22-02-2023 11:32

#20

i’m not sure which pictures you are looking at, but Protophormia ismuch darker than (most) Protocalliphora.
For instance

https://diptera.info/photogallery.php?photo_id=5829

and these calypters are definitely not white ….

Theo