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Hello!

This shiny metallic fly was sunbathing yesterday here at the wood's egde here in Ostwestfalen/Germany. It was considerably smaller than a Lucilia und not as green. Any idea about the genus? Thanks!

P.S.: These small (5-6 mm) flies are very abundant here at the moment on tree trunks. Muscids oder perhaps Anthomyiids?
http://www.foto-u...ae_spp.jpg

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"considerably smaller than a Lucilia und not as green"
Hello Juergen.
Well, if experts keep silence, I dare say what I think.
I can't see green metallic at all, my test colour is brown. May be it is Tachinidae, not Calliphoridae?
Nikita

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Hello, Nikita!



Perhaps I should have written "not green at all, but with a clearly metallic brillance". It is difficult to photograph, but in the light there was, depending on the ankle, sometimes a blue, sometimes a reddisch gloss. So for me it was "not as green" as Lucilia, but as metallic.



That idea came to my mind, too. But I could not find pictures of neither a similar looking Tachinid, nor Calliphorid. The most similar were some Muscids, but they have a different wing venation.

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Hi Juergen,
when I've seen your fly this one came in my mind
http://www.diptera.info/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=5&thread_id=1372#post_5485
Spring fly, size 6-7mm, less than Lucilia, with sharp sunlight Lypha have to look very metallic shining.
Nikita

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Hello, Nikita!



Thanks! That is really rather similar, but seems to be more hairy than mine.

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Hello Juergen.
Sharp light always kills details, such as hairs or even seta. But looking at the shadow from your on the leal fly I can see that abdomen is rather hairy than bold.
Anyway, if it is Tachina - higest court is Theo, who will appear sooner or later.
Nikita

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Nice to know I am considered the supreme court in Calyptratae.
Just to warn you: never believe anybody always. Keep checking !
Those with a good memory will remember my mistake last year on Picconia incurva (luckily corrected by the ultra court H.P. Tschornsig).

Anyway, let's get to the fly:

in the wing there is a topcel with a very long stalk.
therefore (to European standards) it can never be a Calliphoridae nor a Sarcophagidae - Sarcophaginae.
Obvious possiblities are either Tachinidae or Rhinophoridae.
The calyptrae look large, which would rule out Rhinophoridae.

Therefore, I agree with Nikita's call: Tachinidae.


The species puzzles me a little, difficult to tell. The stalk is too long for Lypha.
It seems to be in Wagneriini.
If the species is from very early spring, say before now, no doubt the species is Kirbya moerens.

So that's my guess: Kirbya moerens (Tachinidae - Wagneriini)

Good find, by the way.

Greetings


Theo

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Sorry, i missed the 'yesterday' at first reading.
Yesterday is before today, so Kirbya moerens it is.


Theo

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Hello, Theo!



Thank you very much for your explanations! Is it known which is/are the host(s) of this species?

And Nikita: you are right with the light. I have one other photo which shows many more stiff hairs.