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Bombyliidae: Bombyliinae - US/Canada (in development)

Authors: Even Dankowicz

Last updated: Aug 2021

Help identify observations on iNaturalist:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?taxon_id=82156

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Bombyliinae of the United States, Canada

Bombyliini
Conophorini

P. chagnoni, WI, © Ilona L., BugGuide / CC BY-ND-NC

P. undata, © pbedell, iNaturalist / CC BY-NC

Hyperoscelis eximia © Unspecified, Tromso University Museum, BoldSystems / CC-BY-NC-SA

Species lists primarily based on world catalog.

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Bombyliini

Anastoechus
Bombylius
Heterostylum
Systoechus
Triploechus

Antennae less prominent
Vein R4 not connected by crossvein to R2+3, long and sinuous

dd

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Anastoechus

Unpatterned wings
Head with prominent anterior tuft of setae in both sexes
Cell r5 closed to wing margin
Cells br and bm equally long
face round in profile
distinctively, r-m crossvein close to base of discal cell
Sources: BugGuide; Steven Mlodinow


A. barbatus	widespread	consistently lacks black hairs behind eyes	no dense black hair on last abdominal segments
A. hessei	CA to TX		dense black hair on last abdominal segments
A. leucothrix	CA to TX		no dense black hair on last abdominal segments
A. melanohalteralis	CA to ID, TX	sometimes with black hairs behind eyes	no dense black hair on last abdominal segments

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Bombylius

Wings patterned or unpatterned
Cell r5 closed to wing margin
Cell br longer than cell bm

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Bombylius

Subgenus Bombylius - Eastern - bolded occur in both		Thorax+abdomen	Wing pattern
B. atriceps	Eastern	Dorsally gold setose, pleural and caudal tufts white. Without white medial spots in female T2-5. Face ground color yellowish to red-brown. Coxal setae all white.	Brown, diffusely margined, anterior base. Posterior wing clear. Brown only reaches R1 apex.
B. austini	TX
B. comanche	NM to TX, north to MI and Canada	Evenly gold-brown, no black pile	almost entirely hyaline
B. eboreus	CA to TX
B. fraudulentus	East of Mississippi	Uniformly orange-gold, white ventral side. Posterior tergites with scattered long black setae. Bottom of abdomen white setose.	Brown, diffusely margined, anterior base. Like validus, whole wing notably infuscated.
B. frommerorum	AZ to TX
B. fulvibasoides	eastern	Light to gold-brown, white pleurae and black and then white subapical lateral abdomen. Without white medial spots in female T2-5. Face ground color dark. Male with black coxal setae, and some black in female coxal setae posteriorly.	Brown, diffusely margined, anterior base. Posterior wing clear. Brown marking extends to apex of R2+3
B. major	widespread	Dorsally brown; upper lateral thorax with brown stripe, ventrally white; abdomen often with white and black lateral tufts	Anterior margin with distinct, toothed brown markings
B. medorae	KS to TX
B. mexicanus	Eastern	Gold- to straw-brown with white underside, with white spots medially on each tergite 2-5 (female). Postalar callus black. Except for white medial spots and diffuse black hairs, abdomen yellow setose.	Anterior base brown with diffuse margin. Posterior wing clear.
B. painteri	TX
B. phlogmodes	TX
B. pulchellus	Eastern	Red-brown with white humeri, white band across base of scutellum and tergite 1, and whitish posterior tergites. yellow and lback pile.	Anterior base brown with distinct margin, with 3 transverse bands of brown spots along wing
B. pygmaeus	East Coast, west to Colorado, Alberta, Alaska	Red-brown with white humeri, white band across base of scutellum and tergite 1, and whitish posterior tergites. Reddish brown/white pile	Anterior base brown with distinct margin, with clean brown spots not in bands at crossveins throughout wing
B. quirinus	TX
B. texanus	KS to TX
B. validus	Northeastern	Orange- to straw-brown. Unlike fraudulent, abdomen with only pale setae. Bottom of abdomen black setose.	Brown, diffusely margined, anterior base. Like fraudulentus, whole wing notably infuscated.
B. helvus (=maculifer, azalea)	MD to TX	~Reddish brown with ~reddish brown abdomen, with white spots medially on each tergite and large subapical lateral white zones	Brown, diffusely margined, anterior base
B. varius	eastern	Brown with gold to black abdomen, with white spots medially on each tergite 2-5 (female) and large subapical lateral white zones. Postalar callus red. Abdomen T2-3 with prominent blakc setose bands. Posterior tergites with white setae laterally and black setae medially.	Brown, diffusely margined, anterior base. Posterior wing clear.
B. zapataensis	AZ to TX
B. zircon	TX

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Subgenus Bombylius - Western - bolded occur in both		Thorax+abdomen	Wing pattern
B. aestivus	UT
B. albicapillus	West of rockies
B. altimyia	CA, NV
B. anthophilus	CA, AZ
B. arizonicus	AZ
B. aureus	CA
B. aurifer	West of rockies
B. auriferoides	ID, UT
B. balion	CA, AZ
B. ballmeri	CA to NM
B. breviabdominalis	CA
B. cachinnans	CA
B. californicus	CA
B. cinerivus	CA
B. comanche	NM to TX, north to MI and Canada
B. curtirhynchus	CA
B. diegoensis	CA, AZ
B. duncani	CA to NM
B. eboreus	CA to TX
B. facialis	CA to ID, NM
B. flavifacies	CA
B. flavipilosus	AZ, NM
B. frommerorum	AZ to TX
B. halli	ID
B. japygus	CA
B. kanabensis	UT
B. lancifer	Western
B. lassenensis	CA
B. macfarlandi	AZ
B. major	widespread	Dorsally brown; upper lateral thorax with brown stripe, ventrally white; abdomen often with white and black lateral tufts	Anterior margin with well-defined brown markings
B. metopium	WA to CA, ID, UT
B. nevadensis	NV
B. nigriventris	NV, ID, UT
B. pendens	AB, WA, OR, ID, CO, UT
B. plichtai	CA
B. pygmaeus	East Coast, west to Colorado, Alberta, Alaska	Red-brown with white humeri, white band across base of scutellum and tergite 1, and whitish posterior tergites	Anterior base brown with clean margin, with clean brown spots at crossveins throughout wing
B. silvus	OR
B. sylphae	AZ
B. vallicola	CA to ID, WA
B. washingtoniensis	WA, ID
B. xanthothrix	WA, ID
B. zapataensis	AZ to TX

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Subgenus Zephyrectes		Body pattern	Wing pattern
B. anthophoroides	CA
B. incanus	Eastern	Light brown to white. Body predominantly white. Some dark pile on abdomen, scattered.	Anterior base gradually infuscated
B. nicholsonae	CA
B. ravus	CO, TX
B. zephyr	CA to ID, UT

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Subgenus Parabombylius - habitus distinct		Body pattern	Wing pattern
B. albopenicillatus	AR, TX
B. arizonicus	AZ
B. coquilletti	Southeastern to IN, OH, MD		hyaline (Except maybe costal cell)
B. fulvus	AZ, NM
B. hesychastes	AZ
B. iphiculus	AZ
B. maculosus	AZ, CA
B. nephthys	AZ
B. nigrofemoratus	AZ
B. pulcher	TX
B. pyrrhothrix	AZ
B. rutilous	NM, TX
B. septentrionalis	IL to AR, KS
B. subflavus	AZ
B. syndesmus	CA to TX
B. vittatus	NM

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Heterostylum

Unpatterned wings
Head wider than Bombylius, with indented rear margin of eye unlike Bombylius or Systoechus

Widespread


H. croceum	IL to NM, TX	body entirely orange-yellow-haired
H. engelhardti	CA to TX	body entirely white/pale-haired; hairs sometimes brown/dark-tipped
H. deani	WY, CO, KS	abdomen golden pilose, with dark brown stripe from T2-T3 and apex	antennae entirely dark brown
H. robustum	Southern	abdomen white to yellow pilose, with variably distinct black sides of T2/T3 and apical spot	scape light brown/yellow,

H. robustum, © Melissa McMasters, iNaturalist / CC BY

H. croceum, © Sarah Bailey, iNaturalist / CC BY-NC

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Systoechus

Unpatterned wings
Cell r5 closed to wing margin
Cells br and bm equally long
face triangular in profile

Widespread


S. candidulus	AZ-OR to MI/ON-AL	face entirely black pilose. body white pilose -
S. fumipennis	WA to WY, CO, UT	brown male femora - J Kits on iNat	scutellum black
S. oreas	BC, CA to MT, NM	yellow male femora - J Kits on iNat	scutellum black; yellow hair on male face, unlike other black-scutellum spp - J Kits on iNat
S. solitus	LA, FL to NJ	black spines on hind leg - J Kits on BugGuide Body yellow pilose
S. vulgaris	widespread	yellow-brown spines on hind leg - J Kits on BugGuide Face with black and yellow pilose. Body yellow pilose	scutellum always with some red - J Kits on iNat

S. vulgaris, © Dan MacNeal, iNaturalist / CC BY

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Triploechus

Unpatterned wings
R2+3 curved upward or recurved

Southwestern


T. luridus	CA	3 grey stripes on mesonotum; legs entirely yellow-brown; abdomen entirely yellow to white pilose; wing hyaline, with brown-suffused base in male; abdomen no black hairs; body predominantly yellowish pilose
T. novus	CA to TX	body light-haired with black hairs on tergite 2 and sometimes also on scutellum and some of the other tergites
T. sackeni	CA, AZ, NV	body evenly white pilose and white-dusted; wing hyaline, with brown-suffused base; femora black, tibiae black to reddish-brown; T2-7 with black hairs on posterior margin; body generally whitish pilose

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Conophorini

Aldrichia
Conophorus
Geminaria
Lordotus
Sparnopolius

Antennae more prominent
Vein R4 either connected by crossvein to R2+3, or less long and sinuous

dd

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Aldrichia

Blackened wings
first 2 antennal segments long and cylindrical
elongate-bodied, but not very hunch-backed

Eastern

		scutum	abdomen
A. auripuncta	TN, OH to NC, PA	reddish hairs with black stripe	black hairs with pale stripe
A. ehrmanni	Northeastern to MO	black or grey hairs	black or grey hairs

A. auripuncta, © mayfly1963, iNaturalist / CC BY

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Conophorus

Wings variously patterned

Western

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		wings	abdomen dorsally	pile on ventral head/thorax/abdomen	mesonotum
C. atratulus	WA to CA, UT	not heavily patterned ; crossvein between R3 and R4; wings with strong basal brown cloud	opaque			1st antennal segment usually short, thick	scutellum shiny
C. auratus	CA, OR	not heavily patterned	opaque				scutellum opaque
C. chinooki	WA, NV, OR, ID	not heavily patterned
C. columbiensis	BC to WA, MT, WY	not heavily patterned
C. cristatus	CA	not heavily patterned	opaque				scutellum opaque
C. fallax	Western	not heavily patterned; usually no crossvein between R3 and R4; wings brown-tinged, essentially hyaline	opaque			elongate 1st antennal segment	scutellum shiny
C. collini	CA	heavily patterned				elongate 2nd antennal segment	scutellum shiny, with yellow-dusted median groove
C. fenestratus	Western	heavily patterned				elongate 2nd antennal segment	scutellum without yellow-dusted median groove
C. limbatus	NM, TX	not heavily patterned	opaque				scutellum opaque
C. melanoceratus	CA, ID, OR, UT	not heavily patterned	opaque				scutellum opaque
C. nigripennis	western	not heavily patterned	partly shining	white/yellowish
C. hiltoni	CA	not heavily patterned	partly shining; side of abdomen with fringe of alternating white and blcak tufts	nearly all black, with some white hairs	pile predominantly white/yellowish, but with some black pile around edges
C. obesulus	Western	not heavily patterned	partly shining	more or less all black	pile all or nearly ll yellowish
C. painteri	ID, CO, WY, NM, UT	not heavily patterned	opaque				scutellum opaque
C. rufulus	WA to CA	not heavily patterned	partly shining	white/yellowish
C. sackenii	Western	not heavily patterned

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Geminaria

Wings variously patterned

Western


G. canalis	CA to NM
G. pellucida	CA to NM

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Lordotus

Wings variously patterned

Western


L. abdominalis	AZ, NV
L. albidus	CA, AZ, NV
L. apicula	CA to ID, UT
L. arizonensis	AZ, NM
L. bipartitus	OR to CA, TX
L. bucerus	CA, AZ, NV
L. cingulatus	CA, NV, AZ
L. diplasus	CA to NM
L. diversus	OR to CA, TX
L. divisus	CA to TX
L. ermae	CA, AZ
L. gibbus	Western
L. hurdi	CA
L. junceus	NV, AZ, NM
L. luteolus	CA to NM
L. lutescens	CA to NM
L. miscellus	CA to ID, NM
L. nevadensis	CA, NV
L. perplexus	CA to TX
L. planus	CA
L. puella	CA
L. pulchrissimus	Western USA
L. rufotibialis	CA, AZ
L. schlingeri	CA
L. sororculus	CA to TX
L. striatus	Western USA
L. zona	CA, ID, NV, AZ

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Sparnopolius

Unpatterned wings
Cell r5 open to wing margin


S. anomalus	AZ, CO, NM
S. coloradensis	AZ, NM, CO, UT, WY, TX
S. confusus	widespread
S. ochrobasis	TX

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References

Sources for this entire project include:

Comments by Joel Kits

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References

Other sources consulted for this specific document include:

Evenhuis, Greathead, 2015. World Catalog of the Bee Flies (Diptera Bombyliidae), Revised edition, September 2015. http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/bombcat/
Evenhuis, 1983. STUDIES IN NEW WORLD BOMBYLIIDAE (DIPTERA) I. Notes on some Nearctic Bombylius, with descriptions of new species. international journal Entomology 25(2-3):215-220 http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pi/pdf/25(2)-215.pdf
Kits, Marshall, Evenhuis, 2008. The bee flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae) of Ontario, with a key to the species of eastern Canada. Canadian Journal Arthropod ID.
Priddy, 1958. The Genus Conophorus in North America (Diptera, Bombyliidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 31(1), pp.1-33.

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References

Cunha, Lamas, Couri, 2007. Revision of the New World bee fly genus Heterostylum Macquart (Diptera, Bombyliidae, Bombyliinae). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 51, pp.12-22.
Hall, 1975. The North American species of Triploechus Edwards (Diptera: Bombyliidae).