Micropezidae - US/Canada (in development)
Authors: Even Dankowicz
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https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?taxon_id=132187&place_id=1,6712
Micropezidae
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Taeniapterinae
| | scutum | Wings | Hind tarsi | protarsi | metafemoral banding | Red eye color |
| Shiny gray *face broad | unbanded | White base | White subapex | Gold, black bands | darker | |
Eastern | Shiny gray *face narrow | banded | White base | White entire to apex/subapex | Gold, brown bands | brighter | |
Eastern | Dull gray *face narrow | banded *frons shiny | black | White apex (last segment may be somewhat darkened) | Red-brown, medially darkened, with yellow ring | darker | |
Gulf Coast | Dull gray *face narrow | banded *frons dulled | black | White apex (last segment darkened) | Unicolorous light to dark brown, except for white ring | darker | |
TX | red-brown | banded | black | White base | Red-brown, white ring | brighter | |
Southeastern | red | unbanded | White base | White base | Gold, black bands | brighter | |
Florida | red | banded | White base | White base | Gold, black bands | brighter |
Calobatinae
| | Body color | Sc ends |
Eastern, Central (some that may be this species on BugGuide from CO, WA) | Reddish brown; single dark median scutal stripe | near R1 | |
Compsobata spp. (others) | Widespread | Black | near R1 |
Cnodacophora spp. | Northern | | farther from R1 |
A good key to species can be found in:
Merritt, Petersen, 1976. A synopsis of the Micropezidae (Diptera) of Canada and Alaska, with descriptions of four new species. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 54(9): 1488-1506.
Micropezinae: Micropeza
lighter scutum spp | | Antennae | dorsal head | Thorax | Cell r4+5; notopleural bristles | Legs |
UT, KS to WA, MB | Female black or pale, male pale | elongateish; Pale with three dark stripes | scutum mostly red-brown; laterally paler | Open or closed at margin 1 | entirely yellowish | |
M. turcana | AZ | Black | stouter head, posteriolaterally black, otherwise pale with dark median stripe | scutum mostly red-brown, typically with three broad dark stripes; laterally paler | Open or closed at margin1 | yellow-brown, with black tarsi |
AZ, NM | pale | stouter head, posteriolaterally black, otherwise pale with dark median stripe | scutum mostly red-brown, usually strongly striped; laterally paler | Open or closed at margin 1 | yellow-brown; femora with brown subapical band and apically dark | |
AZ, NM | | Elongate head, posteirorly dark with 2 shining lnes | entirely Ashy brown, at most with 2 black stripes | Closed at margin 2 ntpl brst | brown femora; darker tibiae+tarsi | |
M. producta | GA, FL | Black | Elongate head, red-brown | Entirely shiny reddish brown, without dark stripes | Closed at margin 2 ntpl brst | Orange-brown; tarsi, tips of femora and tibiae black |
M. texana | TX | | Elongate head | Entirely shiny reddish brown, with dark stripes | Closed at margin 2 ntpl brst | yellow-brown; femora with subapical and apical dark ring |
CA to TX | pale | Stout head, lacking shiny lines; anteriorly lighter, without median stripe | entirely ashy brown, with brown stripes and spots | Closed at margin 2 ntpl brst | yellow-brown Femora with 2 uniquely BLACK rings | |
CA, AZ | yellow-brown | stouter head lacking shiny lines; yellow-brown with three dark stripes | Dull reddish brown | Closed at margin 2 ntpl brst | yellow-brown, without dark rings |
The lighter-colored species of Micropeza are in need of revision, so the following diagnoses should be used only very provisionally. Head patterning is not very reliable.
Micropezinae: Micropeza
Found from Northern Great Plains to Mexican border. Micropeza corrigiolata is non-native, black, and the only one in the Northeast. Head patterning is not very reliable.
black scutum spp | | Antennae | Dorsal head | Thorax / scutum | Cell r4+5; notopleural bristles | Legs |
M. lateralis (=chillcotti) | BC | | Black anterior, yellow posterior, black ocellar spot expands into wide U-mark | Blackish, orng-yell stripe and notopleuron | | Yellow-brown, black tarsi |
M. ambigua | NM | Male pale, female black | Lower frons pale, vertex black | Black, rarely twice striped | Open or closed at margin 1 | |
M. atra | AZ, NM, UT | black | mostly black | Black, Dull, ashy, not sriped | Open at margin 1 | Dark |
M. ventralis | AZ | black | mostly black | Black, Dull, ashy, not striped | Closed barely at margin 1 | dark |
M. setaventris | UT, KS to WA, MB | Black | mostly black | Black, with distinct pale notopleural stripe, rarely twice striped | Open or closed at margin 1 | Femora pale |
M. unca | CA | Black | Black, expanded light areas near eyes at waist point | Black, orange-yellow stripe | Open or closed at margin 1 | |
AZ | | Black | Black entirely, polished | Open or closed at margin 1 | femora orange-brown, tibiae + tarsi black | |
AZ | Pale | entirely black | Black entirely, Dull, ashy, not striped | Open or closed at margin 1 | pale, with dark spots at subapical and apical femora and apical tibia | |
M. californica | CA | | lacking shiny lines | Black, with red-yellow lateral margins | Closed at margin 2 ntpl brst | Femora w/out black rings |
Hawaiian species
References
Sources for this entire project include:
References
Other sources consulted for this specific document include:
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to Morgan Jackson for his feedback, information, and suggestions: https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/27945-micropezidae-us-canada#activity_comment_3530002