File talk:Fly feeding on fly 01.jpg

Identification

(Discussion copied from User talk:Dysmachus)

I think you are right in changing the name of my fly, do you think they may actually be Neoitamus melanopogon (robber/assassin fly) ? --Tony Wills (talk) 20:10, 1 February 2009 (UTC)

No. There are several undescribed genera in the Australian region. The genera Neoitamus and Cerdistus are described on the base of Holarctic species. Nevertheless several Australian species are decribed within these genera. Unfortunately, nobody is working on a revision. I checked a lot of material from the Australian region (also from New Zealand). Although several species looks very similar to our European Neoitamus and Cerdistus species, they must be placed in other genera. Your photographs show a female specimen which looks very similar to an Palaeacrtic Cerdistus species (ovipositor, face, chaetotaxy). Therefore I alreday changed the category. More than 95 per cent of the robber fly fauna of New Zealand is unkown to science. Yours - --Dysmachus (talk) 14:44, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

Ok, I will accept your expertise as I have none!. I did ask on diptera.info but no one seems to have any expertise relating to NZ species. I would say that I find many references to Neoitamus species and pictures of similar flies in NZ refered to as Neoitamus melanopogon. I will take the liberty of copying your response to the talk pages on these two images to clarify the position for others. Thanks again :-) --Tony Wills (talk) 20:06, 3 February 2009 (UTC)