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Dolichopodids - the flies with grace, poise and glamour
Martin Drake
©blowave Diptera.info
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Common name
• Long-legged flies
• Semaphore flies
• My suggestion .....
Tip-toe flies
Sympycnus spiculatus © Stephen R Diptera.info
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Metallic, usually green
Slender body
Simple wing venation
Simple bristling
Recognition
Dolichopus discifer © Nikita Vikhrev
Poecilobothrus nobilitatus © Blowave Diptera.info
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Other metallic green flies
@TonyT Diptera.info
Lucilia (Calliphoridae)
© Svenja Cristian Diptera.info
Orthellia (Muscidae)
© Tim Warfolk Diptera.info
Chorisops (Stratiomyidae)
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Marshall 2012. Flies.
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Grimaldi & Engel. 2005. Evolution of the insects
Dolichopodids
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Baltic amber, Eocene – c.40-50MY
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0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700N
um
be
r o
f sp
eci
es Number of species in each fly family
in Britain
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0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Nu
mb
er
of
spe
cie
s Number of species in larger families
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• Worldwide 7500 species
• 300 species in Britain
• 44 genera
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It’s a man’s world
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Campsicnemus magius painting by Peter Skidmore
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Dolichopus brevipennis painting by Dawn Painter
Dolichopus popularis
© Lagura Diptera.info
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© Jari Flinck Diptera.info
Neurigona quadrifasciata
© Ben Hamers, Diptera.info
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Sciapus platypterus © Pristurus Diptera.info
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Syntormon pallipes Teuchophorus spinigerellus
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Syntormon hind metatarsus
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Argyra perplexa © cosmln Diptera.info
Rhaphium caliginosum Syntormon pallipes
© StephenR Diptera.info
Machaerium maritime
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Sciapus platypterus
Wings
Teuchophorus spinigerellus
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© RayWilson Diptera.info
Argyra argyria
@ Shropshire Hills AONB
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© Tony Irwin Diptera.info
Aphrosilus celtiber
© Eiran Evans
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© Ray WilsonDiptera.info
© Blowave Diptera.info
Poecilobothrus nobilitatus
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Poecilobothrus nobilitatus courtship
Slow Flight
Land 1993 Lunau 1996
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Poecilobothrus nobilitatus courtship
Fast Flight
flip
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Hercostomus germanus
© cyprinoid Diptera.info
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Hercostomus germanus
© cyprinoid Diptera.info
Hercostomus nanus
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Chrysotus gramineus
Chrysotus laesus © blowave Diptera.info
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© Jari Flinck Diptera.info
© Marion Freidrich Diptera.info
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d’Assis Fonseca 1978
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Medetera flavipes © Nikita Vikhrev Diptera.info
Neurigona pallida © blowave Diptera.info
Systenus scholtzi © TISSOT Bruno Diptera.info
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Hydrophorus oceanus © Nikita Vikhrev Diptera.info
Campsicnemus magius © Andrew Cunningham
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0
10
20
30
40
50
wetlands woods trees drierhabitats
generalist
Number of species
Bedfordshire dolichopodids
by habitat
out of 83 species recorded
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0
10
20
30
40
50
Common Local Nationallyscarce
Data Deficient
Number of species
Bedfordshire dolichopodids
by status
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Sciapus platypterus © hedi241 Diptera.info
Sciapus zonatulus Data Deficient, Nationally Rare
Sciapus zonatulus
1 6542
2
1
0
9
8
1
6
5
4
3
2
30
7
NH
NN
NS
SC SD
SH
NX
NC
SY
ST
SJ
NY
NT
SN
NF
SOX
SQ
R
NL
TV
NA
SW
SR SS
S
N
NM
NG
NB
SX
NO
W
NK
OL
OF
OA
TR
TM
OV
TBTA
R
SV SW SX SY SZ
TG
NP
ND
SZ
SU
SP
SK
SE
OQNU
NJ
SV
NE
OL
TQ
TL
TF
NZ
NH
SS
SN
SH
SC
NX
OA
NN
NG
NC
SY
ST
SO
SJ
SD
NS
SWSV
SQ
W
R
NL
SX
NA NB
SR
X
S
N
NM NO
NF
W
NY OV
OQ
TG
OF
TV
TF
TB
TL
R
SV SW SX SY SZ
TM
NZ
TV
NJ
ND
SZ
SU
SP
TASE
NT NU
NP
NK
NE
TV
TQ
SK
TR
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Nationally Scarce Chrysotus cupreus
Medetera ambigua
Rhaphium antennatum
Rhaphium fasciatum
Syntormon fuscipes
Syntormon macula
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Rhaphium caliginosum
Rhaphium antennatum Nationally Scarce
Rhaphium antennatum
1 6542
2
1
0
9
8
1
6
5
4
3
2
30
7
NH
NN
NS
SC SD
SH
NX
NC
SY
ST
SJ
NY
NT
SN
NF
SOX
SQ
R
NL
TV
NA
SW
SR SS
S
N
NM
NG
NB
SX
NO
W
NK
OL
OF
OA
TR
TM
OV
TBTA
R
SV SW SX SY SZ
TG
NP
ND
SZ
SU
SP
SK
SE
OQNU
NJ
SV
NE
OL
TQ
TL
TF
NZ
NH
SS
SN
SH
SC
NX
OA
NN
NG
NC
SY
ST
SO
SJ
SD
NS
SWSV
SQ
W
R
NL
SX
NA NB
SR
X
S
N
NM NO
NF
W
NY OV
OQ
TG
OF
TV
TF
TB
TL
R
SV SW SX SY SZ
TM
NZ
TV
NJ
ND
SZ
SU
SP
TASE
NT NU
NP
NK
NE
TV
TQ
SK
TR
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Syntormon fuscipes
1 6542
2
1
0
9
8
1
6
5
4
3
2
30
7
NH
NN
NS
SC SD
SH
NX
NC
SY
ST
SJ
NY
NT
SN
NF
SOX
SQ
R
NL
TV
NA
SW
SR SS
S
N
NM
NG
NB
SX
NO
W
NK
OL
OF
OA
TR
TM
OV
TBTA
R
SV SW SX SY SZ
TG
NP
ND
SZ
SU
SP
SK
SE
OQNU
NJ
SV
NE
OL
TQ
TL
TF
NZ
NH
SS
SN
SH
SC
NX
OA
NN
NG
NC
SY
ST
SO
SJ
SD
NS
SWSV
SQ
W
R
NL
SX
NA NB
SR
X
S
N
NM NO
NF
W
NY OV
OQ
TG
OF
TV
TF
TB
TL
R
SV SW SX SY SZ
TM
NZ
TV
NJ
ND
SZ
SU
SP
TASE
NT NU
NP
NK
NE
TV
TQ
SK
TR
Syntormon fuscipes Nationally Scarce
© Stephen R Diptera.info
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Syntormon macula Nationally Scarce
Syntormon macula
1 6542
2
1
0
9
8
1
6
5
4
3
2
30
7
NH
NN
NS
SC SD
SH
NX
NC
SY
ST
SJ
NY
NT
SN
NF
SOX
SQ
R
NL
TV
NA
SW
SR SS
S
N
NM
NG
NB
SX
NO
W
NK
OL
OF
OA
TR
TM
OV
TBTA
R
SV SW SX SY SZ
TG
NP
ND
SZ
SU
SP
SK
SE
OQNU
NJ
SV
NE
OL
TQ
TL
TF
NZ
NH
SS
SN
SH
SC
NX
OA
NN
NG
NC
SY
ST
SO
SJ
SD
NS
SWSV
SQ
W
R
NL
SX
NA NB
SR
X
S
N
NM NO
NF
W
NY OV
OQ
TG
OF
TV
TF
TB
TL
R
SV SW SX SY SZ
TM
NZ
TV
NJ
ND
SZ
SU
SP
TASE
NT NU
NP
NK
NE
TV
TQ
SK
TR
© Telegraph
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Syntormon macula Nationally Scarce
Syntormon macula
1 6542
2
1
0
9
8
1
6
5
4
3
2
30
7
NH
NN
NS
SC SD
SH
NX
NC
SY
ST
SJ
NY
NT
SN
NF
SOX
SQ
R
NL
TV
NA
SW
SR SS
S
N
NM
NG
NB
SX
NO
W
NK
OL
OF
OA
TR
TM
OV
TBTA
R
SV SW SX SY SZ
TG
NP
ND
SZ
SU
SP
SK
SE
OQNU
NJ
SV
NE
OL
TQ
TL
TF
NZ
NH
SS
SN
SH
SC
NX
OA
NN
NG
NC
SY
ST
SO
SJ
SD
NS
SWSV
SQ
W
R
NL
SX
NA NB
SR
X
S
N
NM NO
NF
W
NY OV
OQ
TG
OF
TV
TF
TB
TL
R
SV SW SX SY SZ
TM
NZ
TV
NJ
ND
SZ
SU
SP
TASE
NT NU
NP
NK
NE
TV
TQ
SK
TR
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Re
cord
s
Month
Syntormon macula
© Telegraph
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0
2
4
6
8
10
J F M A M J J A S O N DR
eco
rds
Month
Syntormon macula
0
200
400
600
800
1000
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Re
cord
s
Month
Dolichopus plumipes
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final thoughts .......
• Pretty
• Easily observable and fascinating behviour
• Lots to learn about Bedfordshire’s fauna
