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hello Flyforum,

On 20-02 I found the caterpillar of Phlogophora meticulosa in the center of Amsterdam.
I kept it in a little box, where it went into some ground.

Today 7-03 I got surprised to see some(3) flies in the box. I did not order them! ;)
It are Tachinidae sp. and perhabs Lydella sp.?

I took some pictures of a female:

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picture 2

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Certainly looks like a tachinid - but if those eyes are hairy then it can't be Lydella. Would be nice to see the face from the side and the front too :D My guess is Phryxe nemea, which is a known parasitoid of Phlogophora meticulosa.

See http://tachinidae...brcno=6104

Chris R.

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hi Chris,

I will take some new pictures from the face soon.
What I have seen, there where blond haires on the eyes.
On the first picture you can see some of them..

thank you for your reaction :)

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I agree, Chris
This could/should be a male Phryxe nemea


Theo

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Thanks again Chris and Theo.

I was wondering why this is a male?, how do you see?

On pictures underneath you see the blond hair on the eyes.

Robert,

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detail eyes

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Yes, I'd be even more inclined to call it Phryxe nemea :) I think Theo would be sexing it using the presence of proclinate parafrontal bristles, but I can never remember this rule :D

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''the presence of proclinate parafrontal bristles''

I have to study this, let's see how many males and females I have..

My first Tachinidae sp. of this year! :)

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Rule of thumb: males have vertex smaller, thus no proclinate orbitals (simply no space).
females have vertex broader, thus 2 pair of proclinate orbitals.

All kind of exceptions do exist. Like Phryxe males:
vertex broad, yet still no proclinate orbitals in males.

Robert, take a female and look below the vertex between the eyes, the proclinate (=voorwaarts gerichte) orbitals can't be missed.


Theo

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I have checked the proclinate orbitals.
It are two females and one male.

female;

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male