Metadon inermis (Loew, 1858)

NOTE - I'm saying that this is Metadon inermis, but in truth I was told that it was either this or Metadon mynthes (both previously Microdon, but with the genus revision being put forward this year by the person who identified it, I'm being progressive). I'm going with M. inermis because not only did the secondary-contact specialist note that it was more likely, but it is also much more widely recorded, while M. mynthes, so far as I can tell, is limited to Guinea. Which is a good half-continent away from where this one was photographed. 

A not-very-good photo for you today:

Photographed in Chongwe, Lusaka, Zambia, in March 2013. It's not a good enough picture to warrant telling you what with.

You may ask why, when this photograph doesn't exactly give great character, this image is being uploaded. Perhaps, as with Enoplognatha ovata, generally considered to have been formally described before the start date for formal descriptions of animals, it is of taxonomic note? 

No. It's more along the lines of Dolichotachina caudata, Megistocera filipes and
Synagris proserpina, although not quite so dramatic. A good picture it may not be, but it is the only picture I can locate on the web of a living member of either species that this could be*. And I'm still not dismissing that it may not really be

Metadon inermis 

(Loew, 1858)

because that would be foolish.

One interesting aside, though, comes in comparison. Behold:

 This is a bee, Sphecodes, displaying a colour form common in Central African stinging insects. 

Look again at our (harmless) fly:

The size is different, closer in the fly to the similarly coloured Megachile bees from the same area, but the similarities between these two individuals was too much for me to pass up showing you Sphecodes.


Anyhow, onwards with the taxonomy: 

Microdontinae

Syrphidae         

see also Senaspis haemorrhoa, Helophilus pendulus, and Episyrphus balteatus.

Syrphoidea         

Aschiza                

Muscomorpha       

See also Diasemopsis meigenii and Dolichotachina caudata

Brachycera              

Diptera                      

See also Megistocera filipes

 Antliophora                 

See also Panorpa germanica

Panorpida                       

See also Acada biseriata, Anthocharis cardamines, Laelia robusta, Zebronia phenice and Crambus pascuella

Endopterygota                  

See also Andrena nigroaenea, Synagris proserpina, Vespula germanica, Astata tropicalis, Hagenomyia tristis, Demetrias atricapillus, Anthia fornasiini, Melolontha melolontha, Malachius bipustulatus, Otiorhynchus atroapterus and Cheilomenes lunata

Eumetabola                           

See also Pephricus, Anoplocnemis curvipes, Ranatra and Grypocoris stysi

Neoptera                                  

See also Cyathosternum prehensile, Lobosceliana loboscelis, Stictogryllacris punctata, Sibylla and Humbe tenuicornis

Manopterygota                           

See also Pseudagrion hageni, Enallagma cyathigerum and Rhyothemis semihyalina

Pterygota                                      

Dicondylia                                     

Insecta                                             

Hexapoda                                          

Arthropoda                                          

See also Ligia oceanica, Dicranopalpus ramosus, Enoplognatha ovata, Argiope bruennichi and Hyllus argyrotoxus

Ecdysozoa                                               

Protostomia                                               

Nephrozoa                                                   

See also Burhinus vermiculatus, Sterna hirundo, Ardea goliath, Chalcophaps indica, Thelotornis capensis, Trachylepis varia, Lygodactylus capensis, Hipposideros vittatus, Rana temporaria, Chiromantis xerampelina, Synchiropus splendidus and Troglodytes troglodytes

Bilateralia                                                        

Eumetazoa                                                        

Animalia                                                             

Eukaryota                                                             

                                                                  
And that's all, folks!








* Reemer's article revising the oversized genus Microdon does also contain images of M. inermis pinned specimens, among other things.


For anyone trying to identify members of this subfamily, Reemer's key, mentioned above, is not only the most up-to-date resource I am aware of, but also available free. Happy times.