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ID help please insect larva
Please see... http://www.flickr.com/photos/watchman/417401000/ 1cm long resident for at least two days between the door seals of our car. Presumably fell from either ash or sycamore tree under which car is normally parked. (Rochdale, UK) In resting position, very flat; when disturbed, quite active moving in ripples down the body. I'd draw your attention to an upward protuberance at the rear of the body, just under 1mm long. I was tempted by some of the less moth species - but apart from the colouration, it reminds me of some fly larvae, but they are usually round, and not flat as in resting position. Sorry about the quality of the photos, I just can't get that close, so these are blow ups from minute image. Thanks Mike [The reply-to address is valid for 30 days from this posting] -- Michael J Davis <>< Some newsgroup contributors appear to have confused the meaning of "discussion" with "digression". <>< |
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Re: ID help please insect larva
On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 12:07:27 +0000, Michael J Davis
<?.?@trustsof.demon.co.uk> wrote: > >Please see... > >http://www.flickr.com/photos/watchman/417401000/ > >1cm long resident for at least two days between the door seals of our >car. Presumably fell from either ash or sycamore tree under which car is >normally parked. (Rochdale, UK) > >In resting position, very flat; when disturbed, quite active moving in >ripples down the body. > >I'd draw your attention to an upward protuberance at the rear of the >body, just under 1mm long. > >I was tempted by some of the less moth species - but apart from the >colouration, it reminds me of some fly larvae, but they are usually >round, and not flat as in resting position. > >Sorry about the quality of the photos, I just can't get that close, so >these are blow ups from minute image. Hi Mike My guess would be a hoverfly (Diptera, Syrphidae), but I'm not sure which species (try posting on http://diptera.info/ for a more definitive answer). Many species feed on aphids as larvae so that would explain why it was up in the tree - I guess about the same time your car was hovered wth honey-dew too  )Chris R. |
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Re: ID help please insect larva
Cheb <no@emails.thx> observed
>On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 12:07:27 +0000, Michael J Davis ><?.?@trustsof.demon.co.uk> wrote: >> >>Please see... >> >>http://www.flickr.com/photos/watchman/417401000/ >> >>1cm long resident for at least two days between the door seals of our >>car. Presumably fell from either ash or sycamore tree under which car is >>normally parked. (Rochdale, UK) >> >>In resting position, very flat; when disturbed, quite active moving in >>ripples down the body. >> >>I'd draw your attention to an upward protuberance at the rear of the >>body, just under 1mm long. >> >>I was tempted by some of the less moth species - but apart from the >>colouration, it reminds me of some fly larvae, but they are usually >>round, and not flat as in resting position. >> >>Sorry about the quality of the photos, I just can't get that close, so >>these are blow ups from minute image. > >Hi Mike > >My guess would be a hoverfly (Diptera, Syrphidae), but I'm not sure >which species (try posting on http://diptera.info/ for a more >definitive answer). Many species feed on aphids as larvae so that >would explain why it was up in the tree - I guess about the same time >your car was hovered wth honey-dew too )Thanks Chris, will do. No, the honey-dew hasn't started yet! Mike [The reply-to address is valid for 30 days from this posting] -- Michael J Davis <>< Some newsgroup contributors appear to have confused the meaning of "discussion" with "digression". <>< |
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Re: ID help please insect larva
Cheb <no@emails.thx> observed
>On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 12:07:27 +0000, Michael J Davis ><?.?@trustsof.demon.co.uk> wrote: > >> >>Please see... >> >>http://www.flickr.com/photos/watchman/417401000/ >> >>1cm long resident for at least two days between the door seals of our >>car. Presumably fell from either ash or sycamore tree under which car is >>normally parked. (Rochdale, UK) >> >>In resting position, very flat; when disturbed, quite active moving in >>ripples down the body. >> >>I'd draw your attention to an upward protuberance at the rear of the >>body, just under 1mm long. >> >>I was tempted by some of the less moth species - but apart from the >>colouration, it reminds me of some fly larvae, but they are usually >>round, and not flat as in resting position. >> >>Sorry about the quality of the photos, I just can't get that close, so >>these are blow ups from minute image. > >Hi Mike > >My guess would be a hoverfly (Diptera, Syrphidae), but I'm not sure >which species (try posting on http://diptera.info/ for a more >definitive answer). Many species feed on aphids as larvae so that >would explain why it was up in the tree - I guess about the same time >your car was hovered wth honey-dew too )> Thanks again, Chris, Paul of www.diptera.info confirms what you suggest and thinks it's a Epistrophe eligans. Is there anything special that makes you think diptera? Or is it just experience? Much appreciated. My diptera knowledge doesn't go much beyond fannia canicularis! Mike [The reply-to address is valid for 30 days from this posting] -- Michael J Davis <>< Some newsgroup contributors appear to have confused the meaning of "discussion" with "digression". <>< |
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Re: ID help please insect larva
On Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:45:02 +0000, Michael J Davis
<?.?@trustsof.demon.co.uk> wrote: >Cheb <no@emails.thx> observed >>On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 12:07:27 +0000, Michael J Davis >><?.?@trustsof.demon.co.uk> wrote: >> >>> >>>Please see... >>> >>>http://www.flickr.com/photos/watchman/417401000/ >>> >>>1cm long resident for at least two days between the door seals of our >>>car. Presumably fell from either ash or sycamore tree under which car is >>>normally parked. (Rochdale, UK) >>> >>>In resting position, very flat; when disturbed, quite active moving in >>>ripples down the body. >>> >>>I'd draw your attention to an upward protuberance at the rear of the >>>body, just under 1mm long. >>> >>>I was tempted by some of the less moth species - but apart from the >>>colouration, it reminds me of some fly larvae, but they are usually >>>round, and not flat as in resting position. >>> >>>Sorry about the quality of the photos, I just can't get that close, so >>>these are blow ups from minute image. >> >>Hi Mike >> >>My guess would be a hoverfly (Diptera, Syrphidae), but I'm not sure >>which species (try posting on http://diptera.info/ for a more >>definitive answer). Many species feed on aphids as larvae so that >>would explain why it was up in the tree - I guess about the same time >>your car was hovered wth honey-dew too )>> > >Thanks again, Chris, Paul of www.diptera.info confirms what you suggest >and thinks it's a Epistrophe eligans. Hi Mike Good to see you got an answer. >Is there anything special that makes you think diptera? Or is it just >experience? Just experience really. But you can see it doesn't have any legs, as such, so it wouldn't be any of the beetles or butterflies/moths etc, nor any sawflies. Just leaves flies really - and it looks like a flattened maggot, and those little black blobs on the rear end are quite characteristic of fly maggots. Now, assuming it's a fly, there aren't many flies that have maggots that walk around on tree leaves, except the hoverflies )>Much appreciated. My diptera knowledge doesn't go much beyond fannia >canicularis! Well, diptera.info is very good for anything like that - they even have a forum for non-dipteran stuff if you're not sure what you've got )Best wishes, Chris R. |
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Re: ID help please insect larva
Cheb <no@emails.thx> observed
>On Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:45:02 +0000, Michael J Davis ><?.?@trustsof.demon.co.uk> wrote: >> >>Thanks again, Chris, Paul of www.diptera.info confirms what you suggest >>and thinks it's a Epistrophe eligans. > >Good to see you got an answer. > >>Is there anything special that makes you think diptera? Or is it just >>experience? > >Just experience really. But you can see it doesn't have any legs, as >such, so it wouldn't be any of the beetles or butterflies/moths etc, >nor any sawflies. Just leaves flies really - and it looks like a >flattened maggot, and those little black blobs on the rear end are >quite characteristic of fly maggots. Good, at least I was thinking along the right lines. I remember dealing with an infestation of rat-tailed maggots a brewery in Park Royal. Yes I was once a pest controller!! - I even went on a Ministry (of um, er) course on stored products pest identification. > >Now, assuming it's a fly, there aren't many flies that have maggots >that walk around on tree leaves, except the hoverflies )> >>Much appreciated. My diptera knowledge doesn't go much beyond fannia >>canicularis! > >Well, diptera.info is very good for anything like that - they even >have a forum for non-dipteran stuff if you're not sure what you've got I joined up and have it bookmarked for future reference. Thanks again! Mike [The reply-to address is valid for 30 days from this posting] -- Michael J Davis <>< Some newsgroup contributors appear to have confused the meaning of "discussion" with "digression". <>< |
