Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Tachinidae or Sarcophagidae ?
Posted by Stephane Lebrun on 18-05-2007 17:34
#1
This fly first looks like a tachinid, but I suspect it could be
Nyctia halterata of the sarcophagidae.
What is the verdict ?
Thanks for your help.
Size : less than 10 mm - Date : May 01 2007 - near Paris (woodland).
Regards.
Edited by Stephane Lebrun on 18-05-2007 17:37
Posted by ChrisR on 18-05-2007 17:37
#2
I think it's
Nyctia halterata (Sarcophagidae) :)
Posted by Stephane Lebrun on 18-05-2007 17:55
#3
Hey Chris, you're as swift as an arrow. :)
Thank you very much.
A question : may I consider the wing spine at Sc level as a clue or can we find it on tachinidae ?
Edited by Stephane Lebrun on 18-05-2007 17:58
Posted by Stephane Lebrun on 18-05-2007 18:22
#4
Forget the question, I just have seen this wing spine on many dark tachinidae on your web site.
So I think the hairy arista is the best clue (when it's visible)...
Thanks again.
Greetings.
Posted by ChrisR on 18-05-2007 18:58
#5
Some tachinids have a hairy arista too ... but really splitting the calyptrates to family level is done on a combination of features and most of the definitive features (eg. subscutellum) are not very clear in the field. You can use rules-of-thumb but really a lot of it depends on just knowing roughly what each family looks like :) There's no substitute for experience ;)