| Ceroxys hortulana (Rossi, 1790) |
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Scientific name: Ceroxys hortulana (Rossi, 1790) Common name: French name: Order: Diptera Family: Ulidiidae Wingspan : 6.5 to 8 mm. Biotope: Geographic area: Europe, Near-East. Observation period : |
Ceroxys hortulana is a fly with blackish-brown spotted wings. The thorax is grey to brownish grey with black spots. The wing has 3 broad black bands that touch the costal edge. The one closest to the apex is interrupted in the middle and appears as a spot on the costal edge and another, opposite, on the DM-Cu vein. There is also a black spot at the apex of the wing. The abdomen is black. The base of tergites 2 and 3 is bordered with light grey. Ceroxys urticae has wings with three complete black bands. There is also a possible confusion with Ceroxys fraudulosa which has wing spots very similar to Ceroxys hortulana. You need to look at the R1 vein near the base of the wing, before the first dark band. This vein has short setae (short bristles) in Ceroxys fraudulosa. These bristles are absent in Ceroxys hortulana. |
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This photo clearly shows the arrangement of the wing spots of Ceroxys hortulana. The light grey borders of tergites 2 and 3 can be seen through the transparency. |
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Exact focusing on the wing confirms the absence of setae on the R1 vein. This eliminates Ceroxys fraudulosa and therefore confirms Ceroxys hortulana. |
André Bon January 2025