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Hi

* locality - Silgueiros - Viseu - PORTUGAL
* date - 2007.04.16
* size - 4 mm (small-medium fly)
* habitat - openland
* substrate - grass



I think this could be Lonchaeidae. If so, it would be great to get species level because diptera gallery has just 3 photos for this family! Let me know if I'm right or no...


EDIT ---> Changed the title "Lonchaeidae???" to "Lonchaeidae fly - Dasiops cf latifrons "

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Yes, that's a lonchaeid. But in this family identification of the species from an image is either heroic or crazy. Sorry.

Regards,
Dieter

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Jorge / Deiter

I will go for the heroic rather than the crazy !! This species has a rather small antennal flagellomere a very wide frons and wide genae so my guess on a genus would be Dasiops . Given the relatively large size, yellow basal tarsomeres and yellowish wings along with its occurence in a grassland habitat I would go for D. latifrons, a relatively common southern and central European species whose larvae form galls on grass stems. - Lonchaeids are sometimes not too difficult really ........... Iain

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thank you a lot! good news: I collected Lonchaeidae fly. :D Please provide me the address. PM me. :)

Indeed, I saw this in a specific site where we can find some Lonchaeidae flies. (I would provide more later the photo of typical site where I found these Lonchaeidae flies.) Now we can be sure about your possible ID. :)

But I would like to know which characters that give us UNDOUBTEDLY clues about genus/species level. :) Let me know.

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Is it common to see these flies hovering in the air about 30 s or more?

I think I saw them hovering below a tree of Eriobotrya japonica (joquat) and near I could see Phoridae flies flying up-down :)) with hind legs stretched.

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I hope someone can answer to my question. Or the ethology of Lonchaeidae is unknown ? Thank you.