Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Beris sp?, Stratyomyidae, Hungary

Posted by Xespok on 20-06-2006 17:48
#1

A soldier fly? The wing venation is too blurry, so I can not even tell, if I am looking in the right direction. Unfortunately this is my only image.

Edited by Xespok on 20-06-2006 22:51

Posted by Susan R Walter on 20-06-2006 20:02
#2

Yes, I think it must be Beris sp - 6 spines on the scutellum?

Posted by Xespok on 20-06-2006 22:02
#3

Thx Susan, actually I see only 5, but the number is supposed to be paired? so some of them might not be visible to me. The yellow leg colour should narrow down the possible species.

Posted by Susan R Walter on 21-06-2006 20:54
#4

So far as I know the spines are always even numbers, 6 for Beris, 4 for Chorisops. I felt there were more than 4, so Beris. Leg colour will help get you to species level, but abdomen colour and antennae length should also be looked at. Maybe B chalybata? The face looks as though it might be as broad as an eye, and this is peak flying time for B chalybata (Stubbs, 2001)

Posted by Xespok on 21-06-2006 23:15
#5

I just realized that I have two more images of the same species at my web site.

http://xespok.net/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=501


Unfortunately they are not much better...

Edited by Xespok on 21-06-2006 23:16

Posted by Susan R Walter on 23-06-2006 00:27
#6

I've looked again at your soldierflies. I think 1-3 might be B fuscipes female (note bulge at base of flagellum), 6-7 B geniculata male, and 8-9 B geniculata female. However, these IDs are fairly tentative, as females are notoriously difficult, and males are very variable too, so difficult from photographs.

What size was 4-5 Microchrysa sp?

Posted by Xespok on 23-06-2006 20:56
#7

It was smaller than the Beris spp. They were in the same size range as the Microchrysa spp. seen by me in Japan, around 4-5 mm.

Thx for your input.