Can you help me identify this fly?

[shardman]

I'm doing a survey of insect species at a local nature reserve as part of my biology degree, this one has me stumped! It's around 2mm long hence the poor photo, it was found yesterday in an area of grassland and scrub. Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Sam

[Matt Smith]

Try looking at Psocidae - I can't see any haltres and the wing veination looks like it should belong to something in that area. I have had a quick look in the new RES Psocid key and can't get a match, but I am not sure if I am seeing all the veins in the photo.

[shardman]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your help. The Psocidae do look similar but they all seem to have markings on there wings. The photo does show all the veins, I can find nothing like it in my insect guide (Chinery), some of the Tephritidae look similar although they have wing markings too.

Sam

[Jason Green]

Evening Sam, and welcome to WAB!

It's a female Jumping Plant-louse/Psyllid that's gravid (AKA egg-filled note swollen abdomen), just not sure why the second pair of wings aren't showing.

Nice to see the professional approach to the survey in that you are collecting - how do you plan on keeping them? I suppose you're using Isopropyl in vials.

Next - specific identification. Try searching for the Royal Entomological Society key by I.D. Hodkinson and I.M. White from 1979... though not sure of additions to the British list during the intervening years.

Take care,

Jason

[shardman]

Thanks Jason, that's brilliant!,

I'll take a look atthe search key you suggested, I have literaly hundreds of insects to identify so anything that helps is very welcome!

At the moment I'm keeping them preserved in industrial methylated spirits from the lab at the university, it's clear unlike the stuff you can get in the shops so it's ideal for preserving. The only problem is it's hard to get hold of so I may switch to isopropyl soon, I take it isopropyl works well? I would like to preserve my best specimens.

In case you're interested my study is attempting to find out how the city/urban development affects biodiversity. I'm collecting insects along transects starting in the city and heading into the countryside, the idea is that the number of species and the number of individuals with in each species acts as an indicator of the health of the ecosystem. More=good!

[Matt Smith]

As long as you have a licence from Customs Industrial Meths is easy to get hold of - I order mine on line and pay by credit card - it is delived next day or the day after.

PM me if you want the name of the company I deal with.

[Jason Green]

I'd suggest only alcoholising (new word?) the tiny stuff - anything exceeding 2.5mm and physically tougher-bodied than a Psyllid like the one above should be micro-pinned. Much easier to examine, and given my usual methodology I should think I'd have other reservations if I had experience of iso myself.

The key I mentioned will only do any Psyllid-type stuff. So, you have hundreds to go through? I suppose it depends on any deadlines or planned time-scales, but I personally leave difficult material until winter. This leaves you with good summer field-time, and keeps you in entomological practice so you aren't semi-rusty when March comes around!

[DorsetDunk]

Hi Sam
i think Trioza urticae were there nettles near by ? Psyllids are host specific suss the plants your collecting them from narrows down the hunt to species level though dissection is needed for some
I have been photographing Heteroptera and Homoptera for a few years now
hoping to record all the species in dorset and they are a real struggle to I.D

A quick question hows the best way to preserve and store after micro pinning
I need to collect the species that I can not I.D by visual examination in the field

[shardman]

Hi DorsetDunk,

You're right, Trioza urticae looks like a perfect match, there were a lot of nettles nearby. Identifying the species is definitely a challenge! Thanks very much for your help.

Your project sounds interesting, how many have you identified so far?

Regarding the best way to store them hopefully someone with more knowledge than me could answer that! At the moment all of my specimens are preserved in alcohol although I would like to pin some of the best. You probably already know this but Watkins and Doncaster sell storage and display boxes for insects, they might be what you're looking for. Link.

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by DorsetDunk

A quick question hows the best way to preserve and store after micro pinning
I need to collect the species that I can not I.D by visual examination in the field

Hello Duncan.

Once micro-pinned (do you have pins+plastazote/nu-poly yet?), store them in a cork or plastazote store-box - try W&D. Typically hets are card-mounted with some using clear perspex, but I micro-stage them once set on cork with appendages arranged to simplify and remove preparation work prior to ventral examination.