Platystoma seminationis


Platystoma seminationis, the dancing "kiss fly", is a species of fly in the family Platystomatidae.

Subspecies

Subspecies include: Platystoma seminationis angustipenne Loew, 1854Platystoma seminationis bisetum Loew, 1868Platystoma seminationis frauenfeldi Nowicki, 1867Platystoma seminationis rufimanum Loew, 1873
  • ''Platystoma seminationis seminationis''

Distribution

This species is present in most of Europe and in the Near East. It is adventive in North America.

Habitat

These flies inhabit forest fringes or hedges, primarily on low herbaceous vegetation in shady places.

Description

Platystoma seminationis can reach a body length of. In these flies the interocular space and the epistomes are black and the eyes are reddish-brown. Thorax is greyish. The wings are translucent, greyish brown, with light spots. The abdomen is black, without punctuation. Tarsi are monochromatic black. The largest tarsal segments are reddish near the base, or show reddish hairs on lower side. Moreover halteres have a blackish brown club.

Biology

Adults can be found from May to October. They mainly feed on nectar and pollen of the cypress spurge, green spurge and other Euphorbiaceae, as well as on feces. Larvae develop in and feed on decaying vegetable material, on mushrooms and on roots of mushroom-infected plants and are probably saprophages.
These flies have a highly developed ritual of courtship, during which after a dance of rapprochement the male and female "kiss" each other, touching together with their large proboscis for 5-15 seconds.