Robber Fly ID

Tormentil · #1 (**permalink**) 21-05-2009, 07:10 PM

Can anyone please tell which Robber Fly this is ?

ron1863 · #2 (**permalink**) 21-05-2009, 07:13 PM

Looks like Dioctria rufipes to me but I ain't an expert Ben

oxycera · #3 (**permalink**) 21-05-2009, 07:40 PM

looks a good call to me

Tormentil · #4 (**permalink**) 21-05-2009, 07:47 PM

Thanks folks.

JRsbugs · #5 (**permalink**) 21-05-2009, 07:48 PM

It's either D. rufipes or Dioctria hyalipennis which I am leaning towards as the abdomen makes me think this is a female. D. rufipes female has a pale pinkish colour under the abdomen.

Janet who is no expert!

oxycera · #6 (**permalink**) 21-05-2009, 09:30 PM

there is a similarity between the two, but hyalipennis isn't British.
some workers believe it is synonymous with baumhaueri but I don't believe this is the species depicted here

JRsbugs · #7 (**permalink**) 22-05-2009, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oxycera

there is a similarity between the two, but hyalipennis isn't British.
some workers believe it is synonymous with baumhaueri but I don't believe this is the species depicted here

I see they use D. baumhaueri on bugguide as a synonym of D. hyalipennis but I'm not sure the pics are correct! Could this be another case of which key is used?

Here's a pic of Dioctria baumhaueri, which looks very close to the pic here.

Tree of Life Web Project - Details for Media ID# 34440

oxycera · #8 (**permalink**) 22-05-2009, 06:46 AM

If we had a good view of the front femora then that would settle it of course, but I do get a sense that they're all orange.
I agree that photographically there's a close resemblance (and I admit that the image didn't strike me immediately as a total 'jizz' effect for rufipes) but I believe that is down to the angle of shot. rufipes is a slightly chunkier beast and, if this counts for anything, more likely to be sitting around at this time of year waiting to be photographed