Fly - Phaonia sp.?

[Gerel]

Hi,

I think this fly feeding on overripe damsons is a Phaonia sp. but can anyone say which one?




Thanks,

Steve

[Jason Green]

Evening Steve,

I'll say Phaonia subventa. Attractive creature!

Take care,

Jason

[Dogghound]

Yes Phaonia subventa , Their is a very similar species P.bitincta in britsin which is restricted to south England but is late flying. However to me this looks like subventra.

[JRsbugs]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Yes Phaonia subventa , Their is a very similar species P.bitincta in britsin which is restricted to south England but is late flying. However to me this looks like subventra.

I'm glad you said that Dogg! I have the same animal, and have been juggling with the two. The only real difference I could see is P.bitincta looks to have darker thorax with a little white striping. Mine looks like that, but I'm really not certain either way.

Restricted to South England doesn't mean much to me, lol, but I have had a female in May and a male in August.

Janet

[Dogghound]

The differences are antennal shape. However in lincolnshire your probrably safe to say subventra although you know how insects are they appear anywhere, plus with diptera like these they are under recorded.

[Jason Green]

Thanks for the P. bitincta tip there, Dan - always good to know of confusion species!

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

I'm glad you said that Dogg! I have the same animal, and have been juggling with the two. The only real difference I could see is P.bitincta looks to have darker thorax with a little white striping. Mine looks like that, but I'm really not certain either way.

Let's see!

[JRsbugs]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

The differences are antennal shape. However in lincolnshire your probrably safe to say subventra although you know how insects are they appear anywhere, plus with diptera like these they are under recorded.

Hmmm, I looked at antennae of both and they don't look any different to me!

OK Jason, I'll load them up!

[Gerel]

Thanks both,

those were the two candidates I'd seen, although I didn't know whether there were other, similar species I hadn't found.

P. bitincta looks to have more yellow on the legs than this one, plus we're in the wrong part of the country so I'm happy with P. subventa.

Steve

[JRsbugs]

Steve, yours has the same colouring on the thorax as mine but I'm not sure if that spearates the two.

The leg colour on one of the P. subventa looks quite yellow, the other not, I'm not sure if you can go on that but I see the front legs of P bitincta do have more yellow on the tibia.

However, my male looks to have that extra yellow on the legs too, I only got one shot of it at night on the outside light. Maybe I have both! The male was in August.

[Dogghound]

As I say to tell the difference between the two species is the antennal shape (pedicel and Arista). I dont think colour is to reliable but since I have never experienced bitincta up here (so not spent much time looking at specimens) Im happy to be told otherwise.