Notes

 Overview

 -   General
 -   Distribution
 -   Collecting
 -   Research
 -   Photography
 -   Literature
 -   Internet
 -   Acknowledgement
 -   Imprint

  contents & layout
  & copyright:
  Fritz Geller-Grimm
  Imprint

 
Notes       

General notes

For the determination it is necessary to have both sexes. For example, the ovipositor can help to identify the right genus and the male genitalia help with the identification of the species. Because of the small size of these features a stereo-microscope must be used.
Photographs are an additional source for identification, but they are not an alternative for keys with detailed drawings. If you do not have a big collection, you can try to check your determination by comparing the material with the photographs on this CD. Most of the time it is not necessary to ask a specialist to confirm the determination.
The maxim is: The easier a group of species can be determined, the more people will work on it.
Additional information on robber flies (such as distribution records, literature, and a world catalogue of robber flies) is available on the Internet. This website is intended to complement the CD.
There are only a few entomologists with a special interest in robber flies. The co-operation and mutual help of a higher number of workers will increase the knowledge of these flies substantially.
The characters used in the keys are based on the literature, several hints of colleagues (I have to thank especially Mr. Wolff) and my own observation. There remain some taxonomic and systematic problems although Germany has a high standard in entomology. Some species of the genera Choerades, Laphria, Machimus and Tolmerus have an unclear status. Therefore, it is necessary to check them in detail and to inform the other workers on the results.
A general problem will always remain: We usually work on little material, which represents a fraction of a local population. The examination of material from different populations is rarely possible but we need much more information on the variation of the species. A good example is Laphria flava, which has several known colour morphs. There are some described species of the flava-group in Europe and some of them are questionable.