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Syrphidae: Syrphini - US/Canada (notes)

Authors: Even Dankowicz, Caleb Scholtens

Last updated: 2020

Help identify observations on iNaturalist:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?taxon_id=121991&place_id=1

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?taxon_id=121991&place_id=6712

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Syrphini of the United States, Canada

Allograpta
Chrysotoxum
Dasysyrphus
Didea
Dideomima coquilletti
Dioprosopa clavata
Doros aequalis
Eosalpingogaster
Epistrophe
Epistrophella emarginata
Eupeodes
Fazia micrura
Hybobathus lineatus
Lapposyrphus
Leucozona
Megasyrphus
Melangyna
Meligramma
Meliscaeva cinctella
Ocyptamus
Orphnabaccha
Parasyrphus
Pelecinobaccha costata
Pseudoscaeva diversifasciata
Salpingogaster punctifrons
Scaeva pyrastri
Sphaerophoria
Syrphus
Xanthogramma flavipes

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Syrphini of the United States, Canada

T2 crossed by yellow band that is closest to posterior margin of tergite at its lateral apex; each half is anterior convex

Sides of
T3 crossed by yellow band that is closest to posterior margin of tergite at its lateral apex; each half is anterior convex

Allograpta

Chrysotoxum
Dasysyrphus
Didea
Dideomima coquilletti
Dioprosopa clavata
Doros aequalis
Eosalpingogaster
Epistrophe
Epistrophella emarginata
Eupeodes
Fazia micrura
Hybobathus lineatus
Lapposyrphus
Leucozona
Megasyrphus
Melangyna
Meligramma
Meliscaeva cinctella
Ocyptamus
Orphnabaccha
Parasyrphus
Pelecinobaccha costata
Pseudoscaeva diversifasciata
Salpingogaster punctifrons
Scaeva pyrastri
Sphaerophoria
Syrphus
Xanthogramma flavipes

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		Thorax	T2	T3 band
Allograpta		Scutellum and partial lateral bright light	a single band, convex halves, angle posteriorly	joined forming a band; each half strongly anterior convex	Unique pattern on t4- either 4 stripes or star
Chrysotoxum		Scutellum and lateral bright light	two halves, convex, angle posteriorly	divided into two; each half strongly anterior convex	elongate black antennae ; grey stripes on scutum
Doros aequalis		Scutellum and lateral bright light	two halves, convex, angle posteriorly	divided into two; each half relatively straight
Dasysyrphus		Dark	two round spots	various; each half at least somewhat anterior concave
Didea		Dark	Two round spots angle anteriorly	joining a band; each half relatively straight ; lateral black margin
Dideomima coquilletti	SE AZ	Scutellum and lateral bright light	two round spots angle anteriorly	joining a band that reaches side of tergite; yellow reaches anterior of tergite / straight anterior margin
Dioprosopa clavata		Pale scutellum with dark band			very narrow waist group
Eosalpingogaster					very narrow waist group
Epistrophe		Darkish	two round spots	joining a band; shape various, at least relatively straight	T3-4 always with relatively straight yellow anterior margin bands, at least t4
Epistrophella emarginata			various		abdomen sometimes with black margin on sides, sometimes with maculae reaching sides, but maculae always separated from anterior margin of tergite by blcak on t3-4 and medially divided at least somewhat
Eupeodes

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Fazia micrura			T3-4 with narrow yellow bands somewhat anterior convex
Hybobathus lineatus			unique narrow waist
Hypocritanus			unique narrow waist
Lapposyrphus			medially separate yellow maculae surrounded by black and anterior concave
Leucozona			T2 relatively long, with massive pale maculae or entirely pale
Megasyrphus			large t3-4 maculae joined but very strongly divided posteriorly , reaching margin
Melangyna			t3-4 with well-seprated subrectangular maculae reaching sides of abdomen; abdomen narrowish
Meligramma			t3-4 with well-seprated subrectangular maculae; abdomen narrowish
Meliscaeva cinctella			t3-4 with wide yellow band, with convex anterior margin
Nuntianus			unique narrow waist
Ocyptamus			abdomen red to blue/black or black with 6 small pale spots, slender,
Orphnabaccha			either t3-4 entirely black or with anterior half entirely orangeyellow

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Parasyrphus
Pelecinobaccha costata			unique narrow waist
Pseudoscaeva diversifasciata			unique silvery orange
Salpingogaster punctifrons			unique narrow waist
Scaeva pyrastri			strongly concave white spots
Sphaerophoria
Syrphus
Victoriana
Xanthogramma flavipes

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Epistrophe

abdominal bands undivided, relatively thick, parallel-sided (in most, not all species)
abdomen shinier than in Syrphus, Parasyrphus
unlike Syrphus or Eupeodes, females often with strong black stripe on frons connecting antennae and vertex

Widespread

shiny brown scutum

yellow and black banded

first pair of yellow spots medially separated

vein R4+5 straight

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Epistrophe

		antennae	abdominal bands
E. grossulariae	widespread	mostly black	yellow bands evenly thick, reaching edge of abdomen without narrowing
E. metcalfi	Eastern	mostly yellow	tergites 3 and 4 with yellow bands separated from margin by very narrow black margin; posterior margin of tergite 4 black, not narrowly yellow as in other Epistrophe spp.
E. nitidicollis	widespread	mostly yellow	**scutellar hairs mostly black
E. ochrostoma	Northern, very rare	mostly yellow
E. terminalis	widespread	mostly yellow	**scutellar hairs mostly yellow
E. xanthostoma	widespread	mostly yellow	**scutellar hairs mostly yellow very strong black medial projections into yellow stripes on abdomen, unlike other Epistrophe spp. with weaker such projections if at all

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Epistrophe grossulariae

Epistrophe metcalfi

widespread

antennae mostly black

yellow bands evenly thick, reaching edge of abdomen without narrowing

Eastern

posterior margin of tergite 4 black, not narrowly yellow as in other Epistrophe spp.

antennae mostly yellow

tergites 3 and 4 with yellow bands separated from margin by very narrow black margin

more or less evenly thick yellow bands on abdomen

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Epistrophe nitidicollis

Epistrophe ochrostoma

widespread

yellow bands evenly thick

antennae mostly yellow

scutellar hairs mostly black

Northern, very rare

yellow bands evenly thick, reaching edge of abdomen

antennae mostly yellow

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Epistrophe terminalis

Epistrophe xanthostoma

widespread

yellow bands evenly thick, reaching edge of abdomen

antennae mostly yellow

scutellar hairs mostly yellow

widespread

very strong black medial projections into yellow stripes on abdomen, unlike other Epistrophe spp. with weaker such projections if at all

yellow bands thick, reaching edge of abdomen without narrowing

antennae mostly yellow

scutellar hairs mostly yellow

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Parasyrphus

Wide abdomen
Yellow abdominal bands meeting medially and extending out to lateral margin, often broken
Brown shiny scutum without strong yellow lateral margin
R4+5 straight
hind tibia usually without orange [bill dean, bugguide]
Unlike Syrphus, abdomen shinier, often more elongate. Abdominal markings and scutellum often darkened more than in Syrphus spp.

Key to Parasyrphus in Vockeroth 1992 covers all spp

widespread

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Parasyrphus

while the ranges are correct, these characters are not well tested and probably shouldn’t be used at this point.		face	male frons	T4 bands strongly broken?	abdominal bands	Tergite 4 yellow	sternites
P. semiinterruptus	Northeastern	black	narrowly pollinoise	entire	wide yellow	medially joined, posteriorly deeply emarginate in males
P. vockerothi	Northern, Western	Black stripe 3/7 face width	broadly pollinose	entire	wide yellow	Male variously emarginate posteriorly	black markings
P. genualis	Northern, Western	variously wide black median stripe	indistinctly pollinose	entire	narrowish yellow, more angular near edges	medially joined	black markings
P. nigritarsis	Northern, Western	yellow	more or less apollinose	entire	wide yellow
P. relictus	Northern, Western	narrow black stripe	broadly pollinoise	entire	narrowish yellow		weak black markings
P. tarsatus	Northern, Western	yellow		broken	wide yellow
P. macularis	Western Canada			broken
P. melanderi	Northwestern	**listed as synonym of P. relictus in Vockeroth 1992
P. groenlandica	Arctic		large, swollen	broken	narrowish yellow
P. insolitus	Western, Far Northern	male: wide black medial stripe	apollinoise?	entire	narrowish yellow
P. currani	Western Canada			broken

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Syrphus

Brown shiny scutum with faint pair of stripes
Wide black abdomen with yellow spots reaching lateral margin except in S. sexmaculatus (Southern), S. opinator (S. intricatus) (both western), in which the T2 markings are widely separated. These latter Syrphus species have a more yellowish scutellum, particularly along the margin, than similar Eupeodes spp.
Straight R4+5
Eyes usually not hairy
Antennae usually dark
abdominal bands relatively straight margined anteriorly and posteriorly, and relatively parallel-sided and oval when broken medially (unlike e.g. Eupeodes in which they are more quadrilateral, angular medially)
scutum less metallic than Eupeodes

widespread

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Syrphus spp.		sides of thorax yellow?	scutellum	Abdominal bands (T3-4) reaching margin?	Male Hind femur	Female Hind femur	Dorsal hind basitarsus	T3-4 bands divided medially?
S. attenuatus	Western, Northern	no		Yes, margin entirely narrowly yellow	yellow or black basal up to ½	yellow		yes
S. sexmaculatus	VA to FL, AZ	no		No			brown	Yes
S. opinator (S. intricatus - Pacific NW)	Western	no	yellow	No	black with apex narrowly yellow,	yellow or with faint ring	Dark brown	No; relatively narrow
S. knabi	Eastern	yes	yellow, *often long stripes on thorax	Yes, broadly	Yellow except dark ring at ~¾	Yellow except dark ring at ~¾	light yellow	No
S. rectus	Eastern	no	Yellow	Yes, broadly	basal ⅔ black	yellow except ring at ½-¾;	Dark brown	No
S. ribesii M sometimes w/ dark facial stripe	widespread	no	Yellow	Yes, moderately	basal ¾ black;	yellow, apically sometimes darkened	Dark brown	No
S. vitripennis	Widespread	no	Yellow	Yes, narrowly	Basal ⅔ black	Basal ⅔ black	Dark brown	No
S. torvus eyes hairy	Widespread	no	Yellow	Yes, moderately	Basal ¾ black	Basal ¾ black	Dark brown	No
S. currani	OR to NV, CO				Yellow	Yellow		No
S. sonorensis	Southwestern USA			Yes, narrowly to broadly	Black, apex narrowly yellow			No

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Syrphus knabi

Eastern

Abdomen bands wide, parallel edges for most of length

Yellow bands reaching margin broadly

Strong stripes on scutum, yellow side of thorax

Hind femur yellow except apical ring, base of hind tarsus yellow

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Syrphus ribesii

Canada/Northern USA

Hind femur yellow

Sometimes dark facial stripe (absent on other male Syrphus), hind femur basal ¾ black

Female

Male

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Megasyrphus

R4+5 somewhat curved into cell r4+5
Shiny brown thorax with yellow lateral margins and scutellum
Black abdomen with blue-green to yellow roundish spots reaching lateral margin

widespread


M. catalina	AZ	lower half of frons reddish-yellow; legs lighter; bands on T3-4 undivided
M. laxus	widespread

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Dideomima coquilletti

Brown shiny thorax, with yellow lateral margins and scutellum
Abdomen with black and yellow bands, large yellow spots on T1
yellow spots more or less reaching edges of abdomen
R4+5 strongly curved into cell r4+5

https://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/mylmst_23/mylmst_23_220.HTM

Arizona

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Didea

Brown shiny thorax
Abdomen black with wide blue-green to yellow spots not reaching lateral margin
R4+5 somewhat curved into cell r4+5

widespread


D. alneti	Northern, Western	T4 with separated yellow spots; T5 black; blueish spots
D. fuscipes	widespread	T4 with fused yellow band; T5 usually partly yellow; yellow spots

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Lapposyrphus

Brown shiny scutum with strongly yellow setose lateral margins and yellow-brown scutellum
Abdomen black with yellow spots, and strong black margin
R4+5 curved into cell r2+3
strongly sexually dimorphic abdomen pattern
unlike Eupeodes volucris, scutellum without posterior margin much lighter
see https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61342171#activity_comment_71508fe6-69f0-47bb-bf1d-451e3305e1b9

widespread

		tergite 3 and 4 bands
L. aberrantis	western NA	complete; hind leg lighter
L. lapponicus	widespread	divided; hind leg darker

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Scaeva affinis (formerly pyrastri)

dark brown shiny scutum
Wide abdomen black with white comma-shaped abdominal spots not reaching lateral margin
R4+5 curved into cell r2+3
unlike similar Lapposyrphus and Eupeodes spp., the T2 spots are anteriorly concave; scutellum relatively dark
frons protrudes a lot more, and dark vertex less extensive, than in similar eupeodes volucris; unlike Eupeodes volucris, scutellum without posterior margin much lighter

Western, rarely in east

Scaeva selenitica is possibly established in North Carolina, and differs in that abdominal stripes are transverse, not oblique

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Eupeodes

Shiny brown thorax with yellow to brown scutellum
Black abdomen with yellow spots/bands not reaching margin except sometimes in E. latifasciatus
Usually with distinct black or brown stripe on face
R4+5 straight

See Fluke 1952 for more info

Widespread

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Eupeodes spp - medially fused spots		abdominal spot color	T3-4 marking shape	T3-4 marking touching sides of abdomen?	Frons	Face
E. montivagus	western North America	M reddish, F deep red	anterior, posterior sinuous	spots narrowly attaining or nearly attaining sides	M whitish, F dark with narrow gold anterior
[Complex Eupeodes americanus ] E. americanus and E. pomus (indistinguishable w/out male terminalia)	both widespread, E. americanus apparently entirely replaced by E. pomus in OR, CA, NV, AZ, NM, and coastal half of BC, WA	pale yellow, more orange-yellow in some males	remarkably straight anterior and posterior margins	well-separated	M yellowish, F, mostly obscurely yellowish
E. latifasciatus	widespread	orange-yellow	anterior relatively striaght; posterior sinuous	spots narrowly attaining or nearly attaining sides	M yellowish, F dark with narrow gold anterior
E. confertus	Northeastern USA and Canada	yellowish	anterior and posterior very sinuous	spots narrowly attaining or nearly attaining sides	M yellowish	with black stripe
E. fumipennis	western north America	yellow	mustache-shaped; anterior mildly sinuous, posterior more sinuous	well-separated, at most nearly attaining sides	M yellowish; F mostly obscurely yellowish	with black stripe
E. subsimus	western North America	yellow	anterior and posterior sinuous	well-separated	M whitish	with narrow brown stripe
E. pingreensis	western North America, south to CA, CO		anterior and posterior sinuous			with black stripe
E. sculleni	western USA		anterior and posterior sinuous			entirely yellow, without stripe
E. snowi	UT to NB	yellow spots on T1-2, T4-5 entirely red-orange				entirely yellow, without stripe
E. flukei	western and northern	reddish yellow	anterior and posterior sinuous	spots narrowly attaining or nearly attaining sides *T5 entirely reddish-yellow		entirely yellow

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Eupeodes spp medially divided spots		T3-4 markings	T3-4 marking and abdominal margin	T5	Frons	Face
E. abiskoensis	Alaska to Manitoba	yellowish	narrowly touching or nearly touching	T5 entirely orange or with dark medial spot	M yellowish
E. nigroventris	far northern Canada	reduced or entirely black	very well-separated		M whitish
E. latifasciatus	widespread	pale yellow to yellow-orange	narrowly touching or nearly touching	T5 yellow with central black spot�	M yellowish, F dark with narrow gold anterior
E. fumipennis	western north America	yellowish	well-separated	T5 with black spot usually joining black margins�Sternites with large black bands; wings lightly infuscated; face with black median vitta	M yellowish; F mostly obscurely yellowish	with black stripe
E. curtus	Canada, New England	yellow	narrowly touching or nearly touching	yellow with large black spot	M whitish
E. luniger	Canada, northern USA	yellow	well-separated	yellow with large black spot	M yellowish; F mostly obscurely yellowish
E. neoperplexus	western Ontario to Alberta, North Dakota		fully touching	(see Curran 1925 for description)		With black stripe
E. gentneri	western North America			yellow with black stripe		with black stripe
E. montanus	western North America			yellow with black stripe		entirely yellow
E. volucris	widespread; common in lowland CA	white, uniquely round	*scutellum usually uniquely drk with pale margin	male genitalia uniquely protruding; T5 black; female sternites 4-5 yellow-orange	M whitish, F anterior half solid cream-colored
E. perplexus	widespread	whitish	well-separated	yellow and mostly blakc	M whitish
E. rufipunctatus	WA, CO	spots uniquely narrow and straight
E. flukei	western and northern	reddish yellow (?)	narrowly touching or nearly touching	T5 entirely reddish-yellow	M whitish	entirely yellow
E. talus	western	reddish yellow (?)	well-separated	T5 entirely reddish-yellow		entirely yellow

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Dasysyrphus

Shiny brown scutum
Mostly black abdomen with roughly comma-shaped yellow bands, typically medially divided, that may or may not reach lateral margin
R4+5 straight

widespread

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Dasysyrphus spp.		T2 markings	T3 and T4 spots meet lateral margin?	T3 and T4 spots
D. intrudens Complex	widespread	⅓ width of T2, oval	yes	variously wide, strongly constricted, sometimes subdivided, curved forward
D. amalopis	Northern Canada, Northeastern USA		no	narrow, strongly constricted, rarely subdivided, curved forward
D. occidualis	Western NA		no	wide, strongly constricted, often subdivided, curved forward
D. laticaudus	Northeastern US, Canada, Alaska	extend to margin in F, and almost in M	no	narrow, unconstricted, curved forward
D. nigricornis	Far North	less than ¼ width of T2 in M, up to ⅓ in F	no	moderately wide, not constricted, curved somewhat forward
D. pauxillus	Western NA		no	moderately wide, not constricted, curved somewhat forward *indistinguishable from D. pacificus from normal photos
D. pacificus	CA, NV to BC		no	moderately wide, not constricted, curved somewhat forward
D. pinastri	Greenland		no	moderately wide, not constricted, curved somewhat forward
D. limatus	Northern/Western NA	less than ¼ width of T2	yes	narrow, mostly unconstricted, transverse
D. venustus	Northern USA; Canada	at least ⅓ width of T2	yes	narrow, mostly unconstricted, transverse
D. creper	Southwestern Canada, western USA		no	very wide, not constricted, meeting medially, curved strongly forward
D. lotus	CA, AZ		no	wide, not constricted, meeting medially, curved somewhat forward, more oblique
D. richardi	NM		no	wide, not constricted, meeting medially, curved somewhat forward, more oblique

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Epistrophella emarginata

Brown shiny thorax; entirely yellow scutellum
Slender black abdomen with round yellow spots that are medially separated at least on 4^th tergite - but lateral margin somewhat variable; see https://bugguide.net/node/view/1274968
R4+5 straight

Widespread, absent from CA, OR, NV

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Leucozona

Shiny brown scutum without distinct lateral margin and yellow to brown scutellum
Abdomen with dark with cream-yellow T2, or dark with lateral rectangular light-colored spots on tergites
first 2 species resemble Melangyna

Widespread in northern USA and Canada

		scutellum	tergites
L. velutina	Western	dark	dark with pale spots, T2 markings rather large dark with pale spots
L. xylotoides	Northeastern	dark
L. americana	widespread	pale	T2 pale; T3+ black

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Melangyna

Shiny dark scutum
Slender abdomen, black with light spots reaching lateral margin, separated medially
R4+5 straight
similar to Meligramma, but face broader than eye in anterior view

widespread


M. arctica*eye bare	Western, Northern US/Canada	T2 with paired markings like T3, T4;
M. coei *eye sparsely pilose	Western Canada, Alaska	T2 with paired markings larger than those of T3, T4
M. fisherii *eye bare	Northern US/Canada	T2 with paired markings much larger than those of T3, T4;
M. labiatarum*eye bare	Western, Northern US/Canada	T2 with paired markings like T3, T4;
M. lasiophthalma *eye usually pilose	Western, Northern US/Canada	T2 with paired markings like T3, T4;
M. subfasciata	absent from northeast
M. umbellatarum*eye bare	Western, Northern US/Canada	T2 with paired markings like T3, T4;

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Meligramma

Brown shiny scutum
Slender abdomen with yellow spots reaching margin
R4+5 straight
similar to Melangyna, but face narrower than eye in anterior view

https://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/mylmst_23/mylmst_23_363.HTM

		frons		T3-4 markings
M. cincta	widespread/Eastern?	M: entirely white		yellow, entire
M. guttata	Northern and western	M: entirely yellow	posterior scutum sometimes with yellow spots	yellow; divided
M. triangulifera	Rocky mts; Appalachians	M: at least midline blackened	scutum all black	yellow; divided or combined into bands
M. vespertina

M. cincta, © theorickert, iNaturalist / CC BY-NC

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Meliscaeva cinctella

Slender abdomen with equally-wide black and yellow bands, the yellow meeting entirely medially except on T2
Brown shiny scutum, yellow scutellum
R4+5 straight
T2 markings round, unlike Meligramma cinctella or cincta

Widespread outside southern states

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Xanthogramma flavipes

Black scutum with yellow strong lateral stripes and posterior half of scutellum
Abdomen black to brown with yellow posterior segmental bands
Straight R4+5

Eastern USA, New Brunswick

Another Xanthogramma species, apparently:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10430766

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Allograpta

Basal abdomen black-and-yellow banded; apically with longitudinal black stripes
Shiny brown scutum
Compare Toxomerus, Sphaerophoria

widespread

	Range	Katepimeron	T2 pattern	T4 pattern
A. exotica	Southern, occasionally to central or northern states	Black	Usually black anteriorly	Black anteriorly; leaf-shaped lateral markings thin to wide, generally ~45° from central pair of stripes, may be connected
A. obliqua	Widespread	Pale or with pale spot	Pair of yellow anterior bands, narrowing medially	Thin yellow anterior band; leaf-shaped lateral markings usually thin, between 45° and parallel with central pair of stripes, usually not connected
A. radiata	Florida		Black anteriorly	Lateral markings widely connected to central stripes, forming unique shape

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Allograpta obliqua

Widespread

Katepimeron pale

T2 with two bands narrowing towards middle

T4 with forward margin yellow,

4 stripes closer to parallel

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Allograpta exotica

Southern, rarely to central or northern states

Katepimeron black

T2 black at base

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Allograpta radiata

Florida

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Fazia micrura

Slender abdomen mostly black with yellow bands, sometimes shiny blue bands, and 4 diamond-shaped yellow spots on 5^th tergite
Compare Allograpta, Sphaerophoria

TX to BC

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Sphaerophoria

Brown shiny scutum with yellow scutellum and complete or incomplete lateral margins
Slender yellow-and-black banded abdomen
R4+5 straight
Quite sexually dimorphic in abdominal pattern - male abdomen is parallel-sided, with smaller black markings than females

Key in Vockeroth 1992– many unidable

widespread

Complete lateral scutum stripe

Female

2 faint stripes on scutum

Male

Partial lateral scutum stripe

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Sphaerophoria

Males, partial lateral scutum stripe

	Range	Pale lateral scutum stripe	Face	Anteroventral anepimeron	Abdomen
S. contigua	Widespread	Partial	Yellow or faint stripe	Yellow	T2-4 bands entire, broad or covering entire tergite
S. novaeangliae	Canada, Northeastern US	Partial	Broad stripe, pair of spots above antennae	Black	T2-4 bands entire, moderately broad, T3-4 bands narrowing toward margin (Vockeroth, 1992)
S. sulphuripes	Western	Partial	Yellow or faint stripe	Black	T2-4 bands bands usually entire, sometimes reduced, T5-6 bands intersected by darker stripe; in very dark specimens each band forming pair of small yellow spots (Vockeroth, 1992)
S. pyrrhina	Widespread	Partial	Yellow or faint stripe	Black	T2 band usually divided; T3 band usually entire but medially emarginate on anterior and posterior margins; T4 mostly yellow and with one or three black marks on each of anterior and posterior margins or with black marks extensive and covering all of mid-line; T5 mostly yellow except for median black line and in some specimens paired anterolateral and posterolateral black spots. (Vockeroth, 1992)

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Sphaerophoria

	Range	Pale lateral scutum stripe	Female frons stripe	Face	Abdomen
S. contigua	Widespread	Partial	Parallel-sided to slightly broadening	Yellow, rarely broad light brown stripe	T2-4 bands arcuate, T5 band divided or nearly divided (Vockeroth, 1992)
S. novaeangliae	Canada, Northeastern US	Partial	Parallel-sided to narrowing, spot above antennae	Distinct stripe, usually broad	T2-4 bands entire, slightly arcuate, T5 mostly black, usually with triangular anterolateral yellow spot (Vockeroth, 1992)
S. pyrrhina	Widespread outside of Southeast	Partial	Parallel-sided or narrowing, purple sheen	Yellow, or faint stripe	T2-4 bands broad, entire or divided, usually reaching anterior margins sublaterally; T5-6 with anteromedian black stripe and usually with anterolateral and posterolateral black spots (Vockeroth, 1992)
S. sulphuripes	Western	Partial	Greatly broadening just above antennae	Yellow	T2-4 bands narrow but usually entire, but may be reduced, divided, or absent; T5 band usually divided; T6 yellow with three separate or confluent black spots anteriorly. (Vockeroth, 1992)

Females with partial lateral scutum stripe

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Sphaerophoria

Males, complete lateral scutum stripe

	Range	Pale lateral scutum stripe	Legs	Tarsi	Abdomen
S. longipilosa	Widespread	Complete, narrow and darkened	Extensively darkened	Fore and mid tarsi yellow to dark brown but apical tarsomere not darker than basal tarsomere	T2-4 bands narrow, entire or narrowly divided
S. philanthus	Widespread	Complete	Mostly yellow to brown	Apical tarsomere of fore and mid legs light brown to black and distinctly darker than basal tarsomere, or all tarsomeres black	T2-4 bands usually broad, entire but may be reduced, divided; T5 two spots may be partly joined
S. abbreviata S. asymmetrica	Widespread	Complete	Mostly yellow to brown	Fore and mid tarsi nearly concolorous yellow to orange, not darker than tibiae; apical tarsomere as pale as or paler than basal tarsomere	Same as S. philanthus *hair on sternite 2 shorter than width of hind femur
S. bifurcata	Widespread?	Complete	Mostly yellow	Fore and mid tarsi brownish in some specimens; apical tarsomere as pale as or paler than basal tarsomere	T2-4 bands narrow, usually entire *hair on S2 longer than width of metafemur
S. brevipilosa	Widespread	Complete, bright	Mostly yellow	Fore and mid legs with apical tarsomere as pale as or paler than basal tarsomere	T2-4 bands broad, undivided *hair on S2 longer than width of metafemur
S. cranbrookensis	Western	Complete	Mostly yellow, femur bases may be darker	Fore and mid tarsi at most slightly darkened, with apical tarsomere not darker than basal tarsomere	T2-3 bands narrow to broad, T4 narrow, bands commonly notched but not divided
S. weemsi	Western	Complete	Mostly yellow	Fore and mid tarsi unicolorous yellow to pale brown	T2-5 bands broad, undivided
S. scripta	Greenland	Complete	Base of fore and mid, most of hind femora darkened	Darkened	T2-4 bands narrow, constricted or divided medially, sometimes almost absent
S. cleoae	**based on Vockeroth this does not seem to be a valid species; see also abstract of Knutson 1971 https://www.jstor.org/stable/25008778?seq=1

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Sphaerophoria

	Range	Pale lateral scutum stripe	Frons stripe	Face	Abdomen
S. abbreviata S. asymmetrica S. philanthus	Widespread	Complete	Variable	N/A	T2-4 bands entire, rarely divided; T5 band divided *hair on sternite 2 shorter than width of hind femur
S. bifurcata	Widespread?	Complete	Broadening, forked	N/A	Bands narrow, usually entire on T2 and 3, usually divided on 4 or “short, arcuate, narrowly divided or incised posteriorly” (Vockeroth, 1992)
S. brevipilosa S. longipilosa	Widespread	Complete	Short, acute, brownish, and indistinct	N/A	T2-4 bands very broad, entire, slightly arcuate; T5-6 extensively yellow, each with pair of anterolateral and pair of posterolateral black spots and incomplete narrow black median stripe (Vockeroth, 1992) or T2-4 bands narrow, divided (field guide) *hair on S2 longer than width of hind femur
S. cleoae	western?	?
S. cranbrookensis	Western	Complete	Broad, truncate apically	N/A	T2-3 bands narrow, usually divided, T4 band sometimes reduced or absent, T5 with large to tiny oblique submedian yellow spots and lateral yellow margins (Vockeroth, 1992)
S. weemsi	Western	Complete	Broad, truncate	N/A	T2-4 bands broad, entire, slightly curved
S. scripta	Greenland	Complete	Broad, parallel-sided, apically trilobate or truncate	Diffuse brownish stripe	T2-4 bands narrow, divided

Females, complete lateral scutum stripe

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Sphaerophoria contigua

Widespread

Partial lateral scutum stripes

T5 with band divided or nearly divided

Female

Male

Pale stripe beside scutum ends halfway

Frons stripe broadening towards antennae

Anepimeron wholly pale

Pale stripe beside scutum ends halfway; abdominal bands broad, entire

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Sphaerophoria novaeangliae

Widespread

Partial lateral scutum stripes
Broad stripe on face

Female

Male

Broad stripe on face

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Sphaerophoria sulphuripes

Western

Partial lateral scutum stripes

Bands may be reduced to barely present

Female

Male

Frons stripe extremely broadened toward antennae

T4-5 bands intersected by dark stripe

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Sphaerophoria pyrrhina

Widespread

Partial lateral scutum stripes
Distinctive abdominal pattern
Compare male S. sulphuripes

Female

Male

Abdomen broadening toward end

T2 band divided

Dark markings on T3-5

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Sphaerophoria philanthus

Widespread

Complete lateral scutum stripes

T5 band divided; T2-4 bands entire, rarely divided

Females indestinguishable from S. abbreviata, asymetrica

Male

Pale stripe beside scutum complete

Frons stripe variable

End of hind feet dark, or hind feet all dark

Pale stripe beside scutum complete; abdominal bands broad, entire except divided T5 marks

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Chrysotoxum

Yellow-and-black banded abdomen, broad and convex
Distinctly elongated antennae
Black thorax with yellow lateral margins and scutellum

widespread

This is C. pubescens: note yellow proepimeron above the base of the front legs just behind the head.

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Chrysotoxum spp.	Range	scape vs pedicel	flagellum vs scape+pedicel	metafemur
C. derivatum	widespread	longer	longer	at least basal ⅓ usually darkened	T2-3 extensively black pilose; narrow bands on tergites
C. flavifrons	Canada, mountains in Northeastern and Western USA	subequal	longer	almost entirely yellow	other eastern species lack long pile on anterior anepisternum
C. plumeum	widespread	longer	longer	almost entirely yellow	T2-3 almost entirely yellow pilose except at margin; yellow bands up to ⅓ tergite in width
C. pubescens	Northern US, Southern Canada	shorter	subequal	almost entirely yellow	This is the only North American species with a yellow proepimeron, others have it dark
C. aztec	southern or western
C. chinook	western NA
C. fasciatum	AB and MB to CA, CO
C. fasciolatum	southern or western
C. laterale	southern or western
C. perplexum	southern or western
C. radiosum	southern or western			THIS GROUP IS IN THE PROCESS OF REVISION; northeastern species were revised by Skevington et al and are bolded at the top
C. villosulum	southern or western
C. willisoni	southern or western
C. ypsilon	Southwestern US

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Doros aequalis

Black scutum with yellow lateral margins and brown scutellum
Black abdomen with narrow yellow bands

Northern USA and Canada

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Ocyptamus

Slender to petiolate abdomen

The species were recently split into a few more genera.

The following table was updated accordingly

Table for Ocyptamus s.s. based on Hull 1949, Thompson 1981, and comments by Gil Felipe Gonçalves Miranda on BG and messages on iNat

widespread

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Ocyptamus spp			abdomen	Wing pattern
O. fuscipennis	Widespread	no bright yellow leg bases	bronzed-brown or black, not partly steel-blue. Long petiolate abdomen	largely infuscated, with sometimes more darkened anal cell
O. cylindricus		bright yellow leg bases https://bugguide.net/node/view/1348430/bgimage https://bugguide.net/node/view/1766409	partly steel-blue, brilliant purplish color. Long petiolate abdomen	largely infuscated, with basally bare anal cell
O. antiphates		wholly bright yellow face. Pale spot on notopleuron and postalar callus. 3rd antennal segment yellow to reddish brown basoventrally. Frons broadly yellow on sides above antennae. Scutellum at least somewhat yellowish	abdomen short and oval. brown-black. not petiolate. abdomen with lighter markings	Female: basal half of wings brown. Male: dark wings, sometimes apex clear
O. dimidiatus		dark stripe on whitish face. no pale spots on thorax. 3rd antennal segment all black. Frons all dark. Scutellum dull purplish black.	abdomen short and oval. brown purplish black, no yellow/reddish brown markings	basal half of wings brown
O. funebris		https://www.boldsystems.org/pics/ASIND/INB0004289729%2B1341429948.jpg	abdomen brown-black and unpatterned. scutellum without yellowish lateral areas. abdomen long and conical	alula dark brown; wings almost entirely dark reddish brown
O. gastrostactus		https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61539254 https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/38125407	non petiolate abdomen, but longer than antiphates / dimidiatus. Bluish black, with 6 paired yellow spots in male	Male: mostly hyaline, at most slightly smoky anteriorly; Female: central triangle darkened

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Former Ocyptamus spp		thorax	abdomen	Wing pattern
Victoriana parvicornis	FL	orange	elongate, orange	Dark apical spot
Nuntianus cubanus	FL, GA	brown, yellow margin	elongate; orange, black stripe and lateral spots	M: ~ infuscated
Hypocritanus fascipennis	Eastern	blackish	elongate; blackish, lighter bands	wide medial triangular spot
Hypocritanus lemur	Western	blackish	elongate; blackish, lighter bands	narrow medial triangular spot
Victoriana attenuatus	southeastern	blackish, yelllow margin	elongate, segments orange and black banded	mostly clear

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Orphnabaccha

Black scutum
Black slender abdomen, metallic
Unmarked wings with some brown at anterior apex
(similar to small Ocyptamus)

https://bugguide.net/node/view/292002/bgpage

TX - O. coerulea, FL - O. jactator

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Pelecinobaccha costata

Black bodies, with slender, petiolate abdomen
Abdomen black with metallic grey bands
Wings hyaline except with dark anterior

Eastern USA

Female

Male

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Dioprosopa clavata

Shiny dark scutum
Hyaline wings
Light scutellum with brown band
Brown, petiolate, elongate abdomen with cream-colored oblique markings on tergites 3 and 4

Southern and eastern USA

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Hybobathus lineatus

Petiolate but not elongate tergite 2 dark with yellow medial band; tergites 3-5 black with 5 longitudinal yellow stripes on each segment

TX, FL

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Pseudoscaeva diversifasciata

Dark shiny scutum with yellow-brown scutellum
Slender abdomen
Abdominal tergites with yellow band followed by black band followed by metallic blue band
R4+5 straight

AZ, CA to BC

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Eusalpingogaster

T2 many times longer than wide
Black scutum with yellow anterior lateral, red posterior lateral, margins, and anterior red, posterior yellow scutellum (cochenillivora)
Abdomen mostly dark, T2 more reddish (cochenillivora)
Bent R4+5 vein

https://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/mylmst_23/mylmst_23_501.HTM

TX, FL


E. cochenillivora	TX	T2, legs, brown-black
E. nepenthe	FL	T2, legs, orange-red, lighter than remaining abdomen, which is darkened

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Salpingogaster punctifrons

Slender petiolate abdomen with extremely long 2^nd segment
Sinuous R4+5 vein
Strong lateral spurs of 1^st abdominal segment
Reddish-bodied, lighter scutellum and anterior lateral thorax

FL

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Hawaiian species

Allograpta exotica, A. obliqua, A. radiata
Ocyptamus dimidiatus (cylindricus complex)
Simosyrphus grandicornis

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References

Sources for this entire project include:

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References

Other sources consulted for this specific document include:

Miranda, Young, Locke, Marshall, Skevington, Thompson, 2013. Key to the Genera of Nearctic Syrphidae. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification. 23. http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/mylmst_23/mylmst_23.html
Mengual, Miranda, Thompson, 2018. Unraveling Ocyptamus and the Baccha legacy (Diptera: Syrphidae): redefinition of groups and new species descriptions. Zootaxa 4461(1). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4461.1.1
Miranda, Skevington, Marshall, 2020. New generic concepts for orphaned lineages formerly treated as part of the genus Ocyptamus Macquart, 1834 (Diptera, Syrphidae). Zootaxa 4822(2):151-174
http://syrphidae.myspecies.info/ classification
Australian-Oceanian Diptera Catalog

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References

Other sources consulted for this specific document include:

Vockeroth, 1992. The Flower Flies of the subfamily Syrphinae of Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. Agriculture Canada. http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/aac-aafc/agrhist/A42-42-1992-18-eng.pdf.
Skevington, Locke, Young, Moran, Crins, Marshall, 2019. Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America. Princeton University Press.
Fluke, 1933. Revision of the Syrphus Flies of America North of Mexico. Part I. http://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/transactions/WT1933/reference/wi.wt1933.clfluke.pdf

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References

Other sources consulted for this specific document include:

Stone. 1965. Catalog of Diptera of America North of Mexico. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/umn.31951p009651184
Fluke, 1952. The Metasyrphus species of North America. American Museum Novitates, 1590. http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/2398//v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/nov/N1590.pdf?sequence=1
Curran, C.H. 1925b. Contribution to a monograph of the American Syrphidae from north of Mexico. Kansas University Science Bulletin, 15: 7-216. (Available from http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/4391303/#page/15/mode/1up)
Locke, Skevington. 2013. Revision of Nearctic Dasysyrphus. Zootaxa. http://www.canacoll.org/Diptera/Staff/Skevington/pdfs/Locke_2013_Dasysyrphus.pdf
Hull, 1949. The genus Baccha from the New World. Entomologica Americana, 27. 89-291 https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50689450#page/113/mode/thumb
Mengual, X. and Thompson, F.C. 2011. Carmine cochineal killers: the flower fly genus Eosalpingogaster Hull (Diptera: Syrphidae) revised. Systematic Entomology, 36(4): 713-731. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251542215_Carmine_cochineal_killers_The_flower_fly_genus_Eosalpingogaster_Hull_Diptera_Syrphidae_revised
Evenhuis, 2015. Two new records of Diptera (Insecta) from the Hawaiian Islands. Articles. Edited by Neal L. Evenhuis & Scott E. Miller.BishopMuseum. 27-29. http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pubs-online/pdf/op116p27-29.pdf
Thomspon 1981. The Flower Flies of the West Indies.Washington, D.C.: Entomological Society of Washington https://research.si.edu/publication-details/?id=111881