Gallery Links
Users Online
· Guests Online: 1

· Members Online: 0

· Total Members: 4,945
· Newest Member: millenin
Forum Threads
Newest Threads
· Unknown Stratiomyida...
· Milichiidae?->Chloro...
· Heleomyzidae ?
· Ceratopogonidae (Ton...
· Bibionidae: Bibio re...
Hottest Threads
No Threads created
Theme Switcher
Switch to:
Last Seen Users
· Marcello15 weeks
· Paul Beuk46 weeks
· JWV60 weeks
· Nosferatumyia72 weeks
· daveb2172 weeks
· guplox72 weeks
· ESant72 weeks
· Jan Maca72 weeks
· libor72 weeks
· Reimund Ley72 weeks
Latest Photo Additions
View Thread
Diptera.info » Identification queries » Diptera (adults)
Who is here? 1 guest(s)
 Print Thread
Very small fly on Squash Leaf
Stephen
This very small fly was at rest on a squash leaf. Length was 3.8 mm. Open area near woodland, West Virginia, USA. Taken yesterday.

ID help appreciated!
--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
www.americaninsects.net
 
www.americaninsects.net
Stephen
Second image.
--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
www.americaninsects.net
 
www.americaninsects.net
Nikita Vikhrev
Even in far and mysterious New World it is still good old Lonchptera of Lonchopteridae.
Nikita
Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University
 
Stephen
Nikita, Thanks very much for the ID!

Just for fun, I looked up and found there are four species of Lonchoptera in North America: L. borealis, L. furcata, L. occidentalis, and L. uniseta.

I found a 1934 article on North American Lonchopteridae. That author also named 4 species, though he listed dubia rather than furcata. Using his key I came up with L. occidentalis for my picture, though I realize a 1934 key may not be best to use!

Thanks again, Nikita!
Edited by Stephen on 15-08-2006 11:13
--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
www.americaninsects.net
 
www.americaninsects.net
Jan Willem
Hi Stephen,

According to www.faunaeur.org, Lonchoptera impicta is also known from the Nearctic Region (I have no more detailsSad).
L. furcata is a synonym of L. bifurcata!

Jan Willem
 
Tony Irwin
Hi Stephen
Not all 1930's keys are useless - after all, the species haven't evolved that much since then. Wink
However, you are right to be wary of Curran's key. He (or the typesetter) appears to have confused the terms occipital, orbital and frontal. The key is of an odd construction, with a double lead to couplet 4. And he chose an abnormal male for the type of borealis - never a good move, though it happens suprisingly frequently!
Anyway I can't identify the specimen in your photo from Curran's key or his descriptions.
Edited by Tony Irwin on 15-08-2006 12:46
Tony
----------
Tony Irwin
 
Stephen
Nikita, Jan, Tony, Thanks for your help on this one!

Poking around a little further about Lonchoptera impicta in the Nearctic, I found an
abstract of a 2005 paper
by Canadian John Klymko, proposing that L. borealis is a junior synonym of L. impicta.

Usually neartica.com is great for giving lists of currently accepted Nearctic species, but this proposed change is too recent I suppose. I'm not sure what the mechanism is for nearctica.com updating its lists.

Anyhow, gentlemen, thanks again for your help!
Edited by Stephen on 15-08-2006 13:16
--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
www.americaninsects.net
 
www.americaninsects.net
crex
John Klymko seems to know a lot about Lonchoptera. Drop him an email with a link to this thread!? Cool
 
Stephen
John Klymko comments, "The photo you have taken is of Lonchoptera bifurcata (= L. furcata, = L. dubia) It is recognized by the combination of pale post-ocular bristles (the bristles on the head that occur all along the back of the eye), pointed wingtips, and more than one bristle on the leading face of the fore tibia. L. impicta/L. borealis would also have pale pale post oculars and more than one tibial bristle, but would have rather rounded wings. All other described Nearctic species have dark post-oculars, a single tibial bristle, and pointed wings.

Notice the photo is of a female (you can see the tip of the rather
blunt ovipositor (males would have a phallus bent up under the
abdomen). L. bifurcata is a largely parthenogenic species, with only
seven males ever being taken in North America (there are populations
in Iceland and the UK where males occur regularly). L. bifurcta can be
pale tan (as in photos) to black (though the postoculars remain pale), tan most common in summer, black most common in winter. In West Virginia it may well be the only species of Lonchoptera, I have seen many specimens from the south east and don't recall seeing any other species.

L. bifurcata is definitely the most common Lonchoptera species in the
Nearctic, particularly in disturbed habitats (lawns, ditches etc). It
has been my experience that the other species are found in more
natural settings, such as riverbanks and swamps, where they to can be
quite common."

Thanks to one and all for help with this fly!
--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
www.americaninsects.net
 
www.americaninsects.net
Jump to Forum:
Similar Threads
Thread Forum Replies Last Post
which small fly? Diptera (adults) 4 11-02-2024 11:21
Small black fly? (Ischiolepta pusilla) Diptera (adults) 7 08-02-2024 21:36
small Acalyptrate - East Europe Diptera (adults) 4 10-01-2024 16:03
(solved - Dolichopididae) small Acalyptrate - Eastern Europe Diptera (adults) 5 10-01-2024 14:58
Small Sphaeroceridae -> cf. Leptocera Diptera (adults) 3 18-12-2023 13:01
Date and time
11 July 2025 00:54
Login
Username

Password



Forgotten your password?
Request a new one here.
Temporary email?
Due to fact this site has functionality making use of your email address, any registration using a temporary email address will be rejected.

Paul
Donate
Please, help to make
Diptera.info
possible and enable
further improvements!
Latest Articles
Syrph the Net
Those who want to have access to the Syrph the Net database need to sign the
License Agreement -
Click to Download


Public files of Syrph the Net can be downloaded HERE

Last updated: 25.08.2011
Shoutbox
You must login to post a message.

17.08.23 15:23
Aneomochtherus

17.08.23 13:54
Tony, I HAD a blank in the file name. Sorry!

17.08.23 13:44
Tony, thanks! I tried it (see "Cylindromyia" Wink but don't see the image in the post.

17.08.23 11:37
pjt - just send the post and attached image. Do not preview thread, as this will lose the link to the image,

16.08.23 08:37
Tried to attach an image to a forum post. jpg, 32kB, 72dpi, no blanks, ... File name is correctly displayed, but when I click "Preview Thread" it just vanishes. Help!

23.02.23 21:29
Has anyone used the Leica DM500, any comments.

27.12.22 21:10
Thanks, Jan Willem! Much appreciated. Grin

19.12.22 11:33
Thanks Paul for your work on keeping this forum available! Just made a donation via PayPal.

09.10.22 17:07
Yes, dipterologists from far abroad, please buy your copy at veldshop. Stamps will be expensive, but he, the book is unreasonably cheap Smile

07.10.22 11:55
Can any1 help out with a pdf copy of 1941 Hammer. Vidensk. Meddel. Dansk Naturhist. Foren. 105; thank you

Render time: 1.31 seconds | 196,104,467 unique visits