3 Robber Fly at Shannons Flat, ACT
Identification history
| Erythropogon sp. (genus) | 26 Feb 2018 | GregD | ||
| Erythropogon sp. (genus) | 26 Feb 2018 | GregD | ||
| Asilidae (family) | 22 Feb 2018 | KimPullen | ||
| Unidentified | 22 Feb 2018 | HarveyPerkins |
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4 comments
GregD
wrote:
26 Feb 2018
This monotypic genus is only known with certainty from Tasmania, although a potentially spurious record exists for a single specimen labelled 'Queensland'.
HarveyPerkins
wrote:
5 Mar 2018
Hi Greg - just wondering, if it is monotypic, why it hasn't been put down as Erythropogon ichneumoniformis? Or are you anticipating there may be more than just one species based on distributions...
DaveFerg
wrote:
6 Mar 2018
Hi Harvey, May I but into your question directed to GregD. Erythropogon ichnemoniformis is a yellowish species, slightly more elongated and larger, though very difficult to gauge size from this type of image. This remarkable specimen would have to represent a new previously recognised mainland species because it appears smaller, red-brown in colour and of a compact form, besides the geographic distance and isolation Tasmania has with the mainland. It appears that you have discovered a unique new species that likely has a limited geographical range. Sorry, Greg for jumping in.
GregD
wrote:
7 Mar 2018
Hi Harvey and Dave,
The fly in the image seems to have all the characters of the Tasmanian species apart from 2 that differ but this could also be natural variation. Wasp mimicking asilids do vary greatly in colour, colour patterns, size, etc. and this probably helps to confuse potential predators. The reason I am not prepared to identify the fly in the image to species is because it probably is new to science. But, once a misidentified species gets into electronic catalogues and surveys, it seems to be almost impossible to correct them.
Tasmanian specimens of E. ichneumoniformis I collected 30 or so years ago were predominantly maroon and black, almost identical to the specimen in the image. Specimens will need to be collected and studied for a definitive answer.
The fly in the image seems to have all the characters of the Tasmanian species apart from 2 that differ but this could also be natural variation. Wasp mimicking asilids do vary greatly in colour, colour patterns, size, etc. and this probably helps to confuse potential predators. The reason I am not prepared to identify the fly in the image to species is because it probably is new to science. But, once a misidentified species gets into electronic catalogues and surveys, it seems to be almost impossible to correct them.
Tasmanian specimens of E. ichneumoniformis I collected 30 or so years ago were predominantly maroon and black, almost identical to the specimen in the image. Specimens will need to be collected and studied for a definitive answer.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.025605-35.910065
- Maps Namadgi National Park
- Places Shannons Flat, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 10 Feb 2018 02:55 PM Recorded on
- HarveyPerkins Recorded by
-
Collections
Insects True flies (Diptera) Robber flies (Asilidae) HarveyPerkins
Additional information
- 12mm to 25mm Animal size
Species information
- Erythropogon sp. (genus) Scientific name
- Robber Fly Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Rare or uncommon native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- 844.4m Recorded at altitude
- Machine learning
- External link More information
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes
