2019 December 6

 

     Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  During my – unsuccessful – search for female Operophtera, I found a dead fly, which looked strange to me.  After taking pictures, I have the suspicion that it is a fairly ordinary fly and that the grey rings might be some fungal growth.

 

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Jochen is right on both counts – the fly is “ordinary” and the growth is a fungus.  I cannot be totally certain of the fly, but I believe it is most likely the Common House Fly Musca domestica.   This fly isn’t actually all that “ordinary” – many of the flies that come into my apartment are usually Fannia, or Calliphora, or Pollenia – I don’t often see genuine Musca.  Also some tachinids look quite like this fly, and with quite similar wing venation.  However, Musca domestica at present looks like the best fit. We are grateful to Bill Savale for confirming that the growth is indeed a fungus, which probably infected the fly while it was still alive, and subsequently killed it.  Bill tells us that the fungus is a phycomycete, Entomophthora muscae.

 

Musca domestica (Dip.: Muscidae) infected with Entomophthora muscae    Jochen Möhr

 

Musca domestica (Dip.: Muscidae) infected with Entomophthora muscae    Jochen Möhr

 

Musca domestica (Dip.: Muscidae) infected with Entomophthora muscae    Jochen Möhr

 

Musca domestica (Dip.: Muscidae) infected with Entomophthora muscae    Jochen Möhr

 

   In spite of its being December, there are more invertebrate photographs in the queue – they’ll have to wait until tomorrow!