Thread subject: Diptera.info :: unidentified Hong Kong fly species
Posted by hkmoths on 27-02-2005 06:49
#1
Hi everyone,
I'm not a dipterist by training (my research focuses on moths), so am guessing a little at the following species. Is it a tabanid, or something else? Just curious. Any further relevent ideas or comments are most welcome. The specimen has been retained; it measures 14mm in length.
Collected at mercury vapour light trap in Hong Kong (150m from woodland, 75m from a large stream and with market gardening / abandoned agricultural land adjacent - a right old mix) on 23 Feb 05.
Many thanks,
Roger
__________________________________
Roger C. Kendrick Ph.D.
P/T Snr. Conservation Officer
Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden
Hong Kong
C & R Wildlife, Lam Tsuen Valley
Tai Po, Hong Kong
e-mail: hkmoths at yahoo.co.uk
Edited by hkmoths on 27-02-2005 06:50
Posted by ChrisR on 27-02-2005 14:15
#2
Quote: Looks like an Asilid to me - and a real beauty!
OK - i stand corrected :p
Just shows how little i know about Larger Brachycera! ;)
Chris R.
Edited by ChrisR on 28-02-2005 13:05
Posted by Gerard Pennards on 27-02-2005 14:46
#3
No, I don't think this is an Asilidae, because these have ocelli on a depression between their eyes, also the males!
This specimen has touching eyes without depression.
looking at this photo it should be a male Tabanidae, or maybe a member of the family Therevidae! Of what I can see of the wing venation, it is almost certainly Tabanidae, but I'm no expert on Asian Diptera, so there is still a little doubt!
Maybe other people can give an opinion as well!
Greetings,
Posted by Paul Beuk on 27-02-2005 18:26
#4
This has all the makings of a tabanid in the genus
Haematopota but there are a few related genera. As far as I know the genus is known also from the continental part of the Oriental region. A very nice picture of a very nice male (one reason being that the males do not bite ;)).
Posted by Zeegers on 27-02-2005 23:03
#5
Magnificent !!
It is indeed a male Haematopota without doubt (Tabanidae).
Some of the oriental Haematopota have bizarre antennae, as very well demonstrated.
I have a review to the Oriental Haematopota, I will look into it.
But, males are always difficult (because undercollected).
Thanks for the beautiful picture
Theo Zeegers
Posted by hkmoths on 01-03-2005 03:53
#6
Many thanks to Chris, Gerard, Paul and Theo for your replies. Most helpful ;).
As a follow up question, where (or who) is the most suitable depository for specimens that may be undescribed? I am well aware that undercollected species will be in demand for collections in general, though I give preference to specialists with sound credentials and whose work will be made readily available to the scientific and wildlife conservation communities in general.
cheers,
Roger.
Posted by Paul Beuk on 01-03-2005 12:46
#7
I guess you get in contact with either someone at the Hong Kong Lepidopterist's Society (
hkls.org, email: ), or at the Department of Biology of the Hong Kong University. The latter has an entomological collection (which I gathered from an abstract I found on the internet) but I have not been able to find a specific address or contact. A seven year old address I found of a person at the Department of Zoology at that university is of Siu-Ming Chan ().
Posted by Zeegers on 01-03-2005 22:15
#8
Dear Roger,
My suggestion would be to look for a special.
I'm afraid that sending it to a general collection will lead to a nice place in their collection, and nobody looking at it for the next 50 years.
So let's first look at it and then put it in a collection.
Nowadays there are not too many specialist on Tabanidae.
John Chainey (BMNH) used to be a good one for the Afrotropical and Oriental Region, but I just recently learned he has been transferred to Lepidoptera and cannot accept any material on Tabanidae any more.
If you cannot find a professional, I might be able to help or at least give it a serious try. My interest in Tabanidae is worldwide, though with stress on Palaearctic region.
I do have a small collection of Oriental Haematopota and the relevant literature.
Love to help you out (and please keep collecting !!).
Theo Zeegers
The Netherlands
Posted by Zeegers on 01-03-2005 22:37
#9
'to look for a special'
should read
'specialist'
sorry for the typo
theo
Posted by hkmoths on 02-03-2005 07:24
#10
Hi Theo & Paul,
Thanks for your comments.
Regarding options in HK: the HKLS (of which I'm a founder member and on their council) is unsuited to Diptera - it has no collections of its own (collections of several members, including my moth collection, are housed at Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden - KFBG). The collection at HKU is (to be polite) in a poor state of disrepair. I could use the facilities at KFBG, where I work, but I'm not a Diptera specialist, so the specimen would only quietly sit for decades awaiting a Diptera taxonomist. That leaves the only realistic option as HK Govt. collections, which have no Diptera specialists (there was someone who specialised in mosquitoes, but that's a while ago now). I could deposit the specimen with their Agricultural Fischeries & Conservation Department (and I have no doubt they'ed be grateful), but I have no way of ensuring long term curation with the HK Govt.
Consequently I regard other options - i.e. "loaning" to a Diptera specialist or depositing at a major institution with significant holding of Oriental Diptera as more realistic.
Further suggestions, please....
Roger.
Posted by Paul Beuk on 02-03-2005 08:57
#11
You can follow Theo's suggestion of sending it to the BMNH (Natural History Museum) in London but if you would rather keep it in a more regional collection, then I can find a Japanese collection if you want. There are a few Japanese dipterists who work on the orthorrhaphous Diptera (Saigusa, Nagatomi) and I think that either of them will be happy to receive it for their collection.
Posted by Zeegers on 04-03-2005 13:16
#12
I have consulted the literature.
Most possible species are only known in the female sex.
So I can help you when you find the female sex.
Theo Zeegers
Posted by conopid on 24-03-2005 23:19
#13
Wow! What a beauty. I don't know that much about flies, but if that's not a tabanid, then I'll eat my hat!
Posted by Paul Beuk on 24-03-2005 23:23
#14
Good apetite! B)
But do not worry, you do not have to eat your hat because it is a tabanid (as you can see above). But with tabanids like these I am not quite sure whether we should be happy or sad that we do not have them, because they are biting beauties. ;)
Posted by Gisela Merkel-Wallner on 11-07-2005 11:59
#15
Hello to all,
i am new in this forum, therefore my answer is a little bit late and the problem may be finished yet.
I know a member of the Zoolog. Staatssammlung M?nchen, Wolfgang Schacht, who is spezialist for Tabanidae and who may know east-asian tabanids, because of excursions to Taiwan.
www.zsm.mwn.de
Best regards
Gisela Merkel-Wallner