Diptera.info

Posted by Ingrid Altmann on 20-12-2009 16:38

Hi,
is this a diptera-larva? I found it under the bark of Sorbus aucuparia.

2009-04-02, Furth im Wald, Bavaria, Germany

Greetings
Ingrid

Posted by Ingrid Altmann on 20-12-2009 16:38

the head

Posted by atylotus on 20-12-2009 18:23

Xylophagidae

Posted by Cranefly on 21-12-2009 13:20

I think it is Xylophagus ater Meigen - sclerotized plates are present only on 2 anterior segments, not on 3 segments of thorax. Abdominal segment carry 3? setae, not 4.

Posted by Ingrid Altmann on 21-12-2009 19:58

Thank you very much!

Best regards
Ingrid

Posted by atylotus on 22-12-2009 11:35

there is a drawing of X. maculata in Smith (1989:p180) were all the thoracic segments have dorsal platelets. So your larvae isn't X. maculata.

Edited by atylotus on 22-12-2009 11:59

Posted by pwalter on 22-12-2009 11:48

Can You submit it to gallery? Really nice photos of a scarce animal!

Posted by Ingrid Altmann on 22-12-2009 19:40

pwalter wrote:
Can You submit it to gallery?

Yes of course! Thank you very much!
Ingrid

Posted by Ingrid Altmann on 24-12-2009 15:03

Hi,
sorry, but I just saw, that I bred this larva and so I also have pictures of the imago!

Here they are!

Regards
Ingrid

Posted by Ingrid Altmann on 24-12-2009 15:04

#10

2nd image

Posted by Cranefly on 27-12-2009 12:19

#11

Dear Ingrid,
there is some discussion about the status of 2 Xylophagus species - ater and compeditus. Now the larva looks like ater, and imago - like compeditus. Dr. Bert Viklund from Stockholm Museum Natutal History is an expert in this question. Try to consult him
bert.viklund@nrm.se

Posted by Ingrid Altmann on 27-12-2009 19:43

#12

Cranefly wrote:
History is an expert in this question.

Thank you very much!
I�ll contact Mr. Viklund.

Regards
Ingrid

Posted by atylotus on 23-04-2010 11:24

#13

Looking at the photographs in Stuke (2004: downloadable from http://www.schweb...agidae.pdf) the larva isn't X. ater, but some other species. In the larvae of X. ater the third thoracic segment has a pair of large round sclerotized platelets, while in X. cinctus almost the entire third thoracic segment is sclerotized. Unfortunately it appears as if Stuke synonimize X. ater with X. compeditus. An assumption can me made regading the larva of these German specimens. As Cranefly pointed out, the adults are more like compeditus and the larva resemble that of ater. The larva of these german specimens lack the platelets on the third thoracic segment, so it couldn't be X. ater (refering to Stuke, 2004). So the assumption could be made that in X. compeditus the platelets are missing (in these German specimens), in X. ater they are large (as in the Czech specimens of Miroslav: http://www.dipter...d_id=19769) and in X. cinctus even larger with also a central sclerite.