[NatureNS] tabanid fly

From: Stephen Shaw <srshaw@Dal.Ca>
To: "naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Thread-Topic: [NatureNS] tabanid fly
Thread-Index: AQHPtaXpkTBDHA4zYkiUcVg9uFtJf5vMStqI
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 03:46:51 +0000
References: <D9FF49DF-E0E6-45EF-8D2A-7C456164FEAB@gmail.com>
Accept-Language: en-US
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

Index of Subjects
Hi Nancy, 
Unfortunately, there are few Canadian resources for identifying flies, but thankfully an exception is for family Tabanidae (which this looks like, but it it not a deer fly, Chrysops sp; looks like a male).  Google to Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification which is out of the U of Alberta, and pick Tabanidae.  I think I actually went to
www.biology.ualberta/bsc/ejournal/tm-08/chrysops23.htm 
which got me to the right family.  You then hit 'Gallery' at the top which brings up a picture gallery of ~30 shots of the all species (there are ~25 species of Chrysops east of the Rockies, so most pics there are one or other Chrysops).  Near the end is Stonemyia rasa, which it possibly could be.  There are 2 Stonemyia species and there's some text about misidentification of the rasa species with the other Stonemyia.
I'm not good at identification and am not saying that's what it is, but this would be a good start for you, as you have all the likely species there, once you know it actually is a tabanid (recognizable as a group).
  
As I think I said before but it is worth repeating, anyone can use BugGuide.net for free, but if you actually join up (also free) and give yourself a password, you can post images in a section for identification.   Maybe no-one will get to it immediately, but sooner or later they should.    It sounds like you must have done this, so this comment may be irrelevant.   An odd limitation with BugGuide is that if you are in a much photo'd group like Syrphidae (hoverflies) where there are loads of images on file, and think you have the likely genus and type that in, it will bring up a raft of images for that genus but which may not include your species, so you think it's not there.  If you are somehow able to guess the actual species and type that in, up may come pics of your species -- it was in the file bank all the time, but only a limited selection was presented for first view under the genus. 
Steve (Hfx)   
________________________________________
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] on behalf of nancy dowd [nancypdowd@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, August 11, 2014 5:46 PM
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: [NatureNS] tabanid fly

This fly was moved to Tabanidae (Deer and Horse Flies) on BugGuide where it has sat for a few days. It looks different than the familiar pattern-winged Deer Flies I usually see and is too small for a Horse Fly. It was at the lights before dawn (details below image):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/92981528@N08/14702512497/

Anyone here recognize it further than the family level? Possibly a Stonemyia?

Thanks for any help, Nancy

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects