Wednesday 26 February 2014

Philosepidon humeralis

After a couple of days of catching nothing but springtails, caught a male psychodid fly, a very small beetle of genus Longitarsus (Chrysomelidae) and Empoasca vitis (Cicidellidae, Hemiptera).

The psychodid fly keyed to Psilosepidon humeralis,  This was a very simple identification and you might be able to pick out the defining features on the image below.  It was photographed again in water so the stacking software tried to stack tiny bits suspended in the water.  There are two forked veins on the wings with two veins in between.  The lower processes at the end of the abdomen run horizontally and then vertically, each of them bearing two very thin projections which have the appearance of matchsticks with a darkened slightly swollen head.  Eaton (1904) mentions the palps are very long - these are the segmented mouthparts extending from below the head.  You can see that they are longer than the height of the head.  I last saw this species on 30th June 1990 in Bishopstoke so it was nice to see it again.  The antennae have 16 segments with the last three tiny and rounded (one has fallen off one of the antennae) and the 13th segment has no neck.


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