Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Chaoborus requires genital dissection?

Posted by smol on 25-10-2023 22:04
#1

Netherlands, 2023-10-18, near lake

Am I correct to say that Chaoborus of the flavicans-complex, or now called subgenus Chaoborus, require genital dissection to properly ID?
This would be Chaoborus crystallinus/flavicans for NL I believe.

waarneming.nl/media/photo/79418877.jpg
waarneming.nl/media/photo/79418878.jpg

Posted by Tony Irwin on 26-10-2023 10:36
#2

There are some non-genital differences between the species, but the characters are variable and difficult to see in photos. I would always recommend dissection to be certain.

Posted by smol on 26-10-2023 17:09
#3

Tony Irwin wrote:
There are some non-genital differences between the species, but the characters are variable and difficult to see in photos. I would always recommend dissection to be certain.


Ah, thank you very much Tony Irwin! I did read something about differences in the tergal bands, but nothing conclusive. Then I will skip these species for now until I will catch them :)

Posted by JSalmela on 05-03-2024 11:50
#4

Hi, Chaborus flavicans have distinctive tergal bands and can be identified even without dissection. I do not see these bands in your specimen, these may be hidden by the wings. This is most likely crystallinus or flavicans. Please note that C. albipes is also known to occur in Europe; that species is not uncommon in Finland. Third species of the flavicans complex is posio, hitherto known from Finland only. C. posio is likely a northern species occurring in Fennoscandia and boreal/subarctic taiga in Russia.