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Syrphidae: Milesiini - US/Canada (in development)

Authors: Even Dankowicz

Last updated: May 2019

Help identify observations on iNaturalist:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?taxon_id=488425&place_id=6712,1

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Milesiini of the United States, Canada

Blerina
Criorhinina
Milesiina
Temnostomina
Tropidiina
Xylotina

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

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

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

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Blerina

Blera
Cynorhinella
Lejota
Somula

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Blera

Usually with distinct antennal prominence
Either abdomen or dorsal face with pale markings
Round, robust body

widespread

		face	scutum/scutellum (latter entirely black unless otherwise stated	abdomen	Hind femur base
B. analis	Northeastern	Entirely yellow	Dark	black with red apex	Black
B. flukei	Northwestern	Entirely yellow	dark	black with paired light apical spots	black
B. armillata	Western, Northern	Entirely yellow	dark, yellow pilose	entirely black	black
B. robusta	WA to CA	variable	black, yellow pilose	black	black
B. nigra	Western, Northern, Appalachians	variable, at least lower ½ black	black, not much yellow pilose	black	black
B. nigripes	Northwestern	Entirely yellow	black	black, largely yellow pilose	black
B. confusa	widespread	Black median stripe	black *apical 2 protarsomeres black	orange anterolateral abdomen, less pilose	Black
B. badia	Eastern USA	Black median stripe	black, Shiny, less pilose *apical 3 protarsomeres black	anterolateral abdomen yellow, less pilose, otherwise dark	Yellow
B. umbratilis	Southeastern	Black median stripe	dark, More pilose, dark transverse band *apical 2 protarsomeres black	anteriolateral abdomen yellow, very pilose, otherwise dark
B. garretti	Northwestern	Entirely yellow	dark, pale pilose	entirely black, with 4th segment black, laterally usually pale	black
B. johnsoni	WA, OR	Entirely yellow	black, scutellum entirely yellow ?pprnl lobes yellow	entirely black
B. metcalfi	NC	Black median stripe	black, yellow posterior scutellum rim & pprnl lobes	T2 with pair of spots narrower inwardly, smaller spots on T3
B. notata	Southeastern	Entirely yellow	black, yellow posterior scutellum/posterolateral scutum rim & pprnl lobes	small yellow anterolateral spots
B. pictipes	Eastern USA	Entirely yellow	black, yellow posterior scutellum/posterolateral scutum rim & pprnl lobes	1-2 pairs triangular markings
B. humeralis	Western	Entirely yellow	black, yellow posterior scutellum/posterolateral scutum rim & pprnl lobes	large subrectangular paired spots (sometimes just on T2, smaller T3)	yellow
B. scitula	Western	Entirely yellow	dark, yellw pprnl lobes	Large round paired spots	black

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Cynorhinella

Dark-bodied
tuberculate, produced face
Veins dm-cu and M1 not continuous
Stout, elongate-bodied

widespread

https://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/mylmst_23/mylmst_23_214.HTM


C. bella	Western	larger
C. longinosus	Eastern	smaller

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Lejota

Dark-bodied; face and abdomen dark
Distinct antennal prominence
Short apical R4+5
Stout, elongate

Widespread outside of southwestern USA

https://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/mylmst_23/mylmst_23_352.HTM


L. aerea
L. cyanea	Face, legs, body wholly black

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Somula

Dark-bodied
Light head with distinct antennal prominence
Paired yellow rectangular markings on tergites, otherwise black

widespread


S. decora	widespread	yellow face, no stripe	oblique yellow spots
S. mississippiensis	Southeastern	black facial stripe	transverse yellow spots

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Criorhinina

Criorhina
Sphecomyia

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Criorhina

Large, setose bumblebee mimics
anteroventrally produced face
Stout, round

widespread

the 3 species in the northeast are bolded			body	other

C. fusca	CA	no scutal pollinosity	Vespid-like, simple bands	scutellum all black
C. nasica	Northwestern	no scutal pollinosity	Vespid-like, simple bands	scutellum all black
C. occidentalis	Northwestern	transverse yellow spot in front of scutum, lateral pollinosity as well	Vespid-like, double bands	scutellum all black
C. aurea	Northwestern		bumblebee-like
C. bubulcus	Alaska to OR		bumblebee-like	diagnosis: with ‘mystax’ of hair on lower face, and tergite 4 grey pollinose
C. caudata	Northwestern		bumblebee-like
C. coquilletti	BC to CA		bumblebee-like	tibiae, tarsi reddish
C. grandis
C. kincaidi	Northwestern		bumblebee-like
C. latipilosa
C. lupina
C. mystaceae
C. nigripes	Northwestern		bumblebee-like	legs blackish
C. nigriventris	Northern, Appalachians	face shiny, bare genae	bumblebee-like, variably patterned	tibiae totally black
C. quadriboscis
C. tricolor	West coast		bumblebee-like
C. villosa	Eastern USA	pilose genae	bumblebee-like	elongated, triangular flagellum, dark tibiae
C. verbosa	Northeastern	pilose genae	bumblebee-like	tibiae reddish

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Sphecomyia

Most with elongate antennae
Anteroventrally extended face
Many are wasp mimics with prominent stripes
Stout, round

Widespread

See Moran paper

Onrecognizing S. oraria: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/53386867#activity_identification_145136095

		antennae	scutum	scutellum
S. brevicornis	Northwestern	1x head length	2 pairs of yellow stripes	anterior ¾ yellow pruinose
S. interrupta	CA	1x head length	2 pairs of yellow stripes	entirely pruinose
S. sexfasciata	southern CA	1x head length	3 pairs of yellow stripes (1 lateral)!!	anterior ¾ yellow pruinose
S. vittata	widespread	2x head length	2 pairs of yellow stripes	anterior ¾ yellow pruinose
S. columbiana	BC, WA	1x head length	no medial stripes	no yellow
S. cryptica	OR	1x head length	no medial stripes	anterior ⅓ yellow pruinose
S. dyari	OR, CA, NV	1x head length	no medial stripes	anterior ½ yellow pruinose
S. hoguei	CA	1x head length	no medial stripes	anterior ½ yellow pruinose
S. oraria	coastal mountains CA	1x head length	no medial stripes	anterior ⅓ yellow pruinose
S. pattonii	Northwestern	1x head length	no medial stripes	anterior ⅓ yellow pruinose
S. weismani	AZ	1x head length	no medial stripes	anterior ⅔ yellow pruinose
S. pseudosphecomima	Sierra Nevadas, CA	<head length	silver pruinose	silver pruinose
S. metallica	CA, coastal OR	<head length	*completely pruinose	*completely pruinose

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Temnostomina

Pterallastes thoracicus
Temnostoma
Teuchocnemis

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Pterallastes thoracicus

Sinuous R4+5 vein
Densely pollinose yellow scutum
Dark abdomen
Stout, elongate

Eastern USA

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Temnostoma

Wasp mimics with yellow stripes
Stout, elongate

Widespread except for CA, OR, NV, AZ

2 yellow per segment		transverse suture spots	scutum in front of scutellum	scutellum	abdominal segments 2-4
T. daochus (= pictulum)	Eastern USA	contiguous, transverse	with 2 spots	yellow pollinose	Yellow, with 1 wide black transverse spot on each
T. excentrica	widespread	contiguous, transverse	without strong spot	not yellow pollinose	Yellow, with 2 black transverse spots (fused thickly on T2, smtms T3)
T. venustum (=nipigonensis)	Eastern	sometimes separated	with 1 smallish spot	not yellow pollinose	each segment with black, yellow, black, yellow band
T. alternans	widespread	separated	with 1 triangular spot	not yellow pollinose	4th abdominal segment with medial spot and 2 lateral transverse spots

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Temnostoma

Wasp mimics with yellow stripes
Stout, elongate

Widespread except for CA, OR, NV, AZ

1 yellow per segment		scutum in front of scutellum	scutellum	abdominal segments 2-4	middle femur
T. balyras	eastern	no spot	not yellow pollinose	black with 1 yellow band each, narrowing laterally *T5 yellow pilose, black in other species with 1 yellow band per segment	usually some black
T. barberi (=acra)	widespread	usually 2 small spots	not yellow pollinose	black with 1 yellow band each, narrowing laterally	usually some black
T. obscurum	Northern	no spots		black with 1 yellow band each, narrowing laterally	usually some black
T. trifasciatum	eastern	no spot	not yellow pollinose	black with 1 yellow band each, remaining wide laterally	totally orange

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Teuchocnemis

Red-brown body
Straight vein A1
Stout, elongate

Eastern USA/Canada


T. bacuntius	Eastern	extensively reddish, markings on abdomen, front legs
T. lituratus	Eastern	much orangish, but front legs and abdomen black

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Milesiina

Milesia
Spilomyia

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Milesia

Strong yellow-and-black markings, with brown on abdomen

Widespread east of pacific coast states

		scutellum	protarsus, apical protibia
M. bella	AZ	mostly black, narrowly orange	black
M. scutellata	Southeastern	mostly orange	orange
M. virginiensis	Eastern	mostly black, narrowly orange	orange

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Spilomyia

Usually with patterned eyes
Large wasp mimics

widespread

		scutellum	abdomen
S. obscura	Mexico	wholly black	2 large black medial spots
S. fusca	Northeastern	narrow white margin	basal 2 segments all black, others whitish
S. sayi	Northern	narrow yellow margin	1 narrow yellow band per segment
S. kahli	AZ, NM	reddish-brown	1 yellow-red band per segment
S. alcimus	Eastern	yellow	mostly yellow	propleuron black; humeral spots always mostly fused
S. texana	Southeastern	yellow	mostly yellow	propleuron yellow; humeral spots usually but not always separated by black
S. foxleei	BC to CA	thick yellow margin	medial yellow spots divided, T2 spots very narrow, parallel-sided, anterior black margin ~straight, not as wide as in citima	unlike below 2, without facial tubercle, and with yellow connecting anepimeron and katepimeron
S. citima	BC to ID, CA	thick yellow margin	medial yellow spots divided, T2 spots very narrow, parallel-sided, anterior black margin apically pushed backward, looking somewhat ~straight, wider than in foxleei	yellow on anepimeron and laterotergite separated by wider black separation
S. interrupta	BC to CO, CA	thick yellow margin	medial yellow spots divided, T2 spots widen, more triangular	yellow on anepimeron and laterotergite separated by narrower black separation
S. liturata	Western	usually broken yellow margin	medial yellow spots divided	anepimeron, katepimeron black
S. longicornis	Eastern to TX	thick yellow margin	medial yellow spots fused to form band
S. crandalli	AZ	thick yellow margin	medial yellow spots fused to form band	unlike longicornis, with black area between yellow epimeron and laterotergite

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Tropidiina

Syritta
Tropidia

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Syritta

Hind femur with ventral ridge of spines
small, elongate

widespread

		scutum
S. flaviventris	introduced, spreading, mostly Southern	white spot along transverse suture; scutum very shiny	fore, mid legs entirely orange	no spurious vein	male hind femur with large peg at base
S. pipiens	widespread	no white spot along transverse suture; scutum duller	fore, mid legs with black	spurious vein present	not as above

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Tropidia

Hind femur thick with ventral preapical spined triangular plate (unique) - also thicker-bodied thaj Xylota, Chalcosyrphus
~continuous dm-cu and M1
not stout, elongate

widespread

			face color beneath pollinosity
T. albistylum	eastern USA, to MA	orange band on metafemur base and on metatibia	yellow face with black medial stripe
T. calcarata	Eastern, records SC, IL, to NB	hind leg entirely black	black face; T4 grey pollinose
T. coloradensis	CO
T. incana	CO
T. mamillata	Eastern *rare, tallgrass prairie, records KS to ON, KY, MS	hind leg entirely black	black face; T4 shiny brown
T. montana	OR, ID
T. pygmaea	UT
T. quadrata	widespread	hind leg entirely black	yellow face with black medial stripe

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Xylotina

Brachypalpus
Chalcosyrphus
Hadromyia
Pocota
Xylota

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Brachypalpus

Broadened basoflagellomere
Dark-bodied, sometimes bumblebee-like
stout, elongate
triangular head

widespread

		thorax	abdomen	head
B. oarus	eastern	pale yellow setose
B. alopex	BC to CA	orange-yellow setose		orange setose
B. amithaon	NC, not in northeast
B. cyanella	BC to CA	dark, yellow setose	shiny blue-green
B. cyanogaster	East of Rockies, not in northeast
B. femorata	western, northern	orange-yellow setose		black setose
there are undescribed species also outside of the northeast

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Hadromyia

stout, elongate
mostly metallic abdomen except H. grandis

Several species, some undescribed in the West

H. aepalius, eastern, metallic patches on abdomen (only eastern sp) https://bugguide.net/node/view/1033249/bgpage

H. grandis, western, - short densely pilose; uniquely yellow anteriior thorax; black posterior thorax and abdomen https://bugguide.net/node/view/141030/bgimage

H pulchra - see notes at https://bugguide.net/node/view/825175/bgimage - grey fasciae at transverse suture, and unique ventral dense scutellar fringe

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Pocota bomboides

stout, round
bumblebee like, yellow on anterior scutum and 4th tergite
unlike Hadromyia, face with black stripe, more concave

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1775317/bgimage

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Chalcosyrphus

stout, elongate
thicker hind femur than Xylota (lateral view); strikingly concave on side margins near apex (dorsal view)

dd

subgenus Chalcosyrphus
https://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/mylmst_23/mylmst_23_176.HTM flattened posterior scutum	blue-black, potentially widespread
C. aristatus	male eyes narrowly separated for minimally broad area, superficially holoptic
C. depressus	male eyes only appearing to meet at a narrow point, much less superficially holoptic

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Chalcosyrphus

stout, elongate

dd

subgenus Nepias - distinct facial crest,	https://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/mylmst_23/mylmst_23_177.HTM
C. pauxilla	AZ
	dark, with light spots on basal abdomen

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Chalcosyrphus

stout, elongate

dd

subgenus Xylotomima - not all black/grey		body pattern	leg pattern
C. inarmatus	widespread	yellow setose thorax, all balck body (similar to Chalcosyrphus)	black, tibiae broadly basally pale
C. metallicus	Southeastern to NJ	abdomen - black with 2 pairs of large yellow spots	protibia, mesotibia yellow, metafemur basal half orange
C. anthreas	Eastern	abdomen - black with 2 pairs brighter yellow spots	black, tibiae broadly basally pale
C. nemorum	widespread	abdomen - black with 2 pairs dull yellow spots	black, tibiae only narrowly pale
C. libo	widespread	entirely reddish-orange abdomen	black, orangish tarsi
C. piger	widespread	entirely reddish-orange abdomen	entirely black
C. satanica	West coast	dark abdomen, yellow halter	pro, mes legs orange, met femur mostly orange, metacoxae entirely black, met tibia black; less black at apex of met femur as in curvarius
C. curvarius	widespread	dark abdomen, yellow halter	pro, mes legs orange, met femur mostly orange, metacoxae entirely black, met tibia black
C. plesius	Eastern	dark abdomen, brown halter	pro, mes legs orange, met femur mostly orange, metacoxae mostly black, met tibia black
C. vecors	widespread	dark abdomen, brown halter	pro, mes legs orange, met femur mostly orange, metacoxae entirely orange, met tibia black

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Chalcosyrphus

stout, elongate

dd

subgenus Xylotomima -all black/grey
C. anomalus	Eastern	all black	all black
C. metallifer	Eastern	all black	all black - unique combination of r-m infuscated and arista basal ⅔ orange-yellow
C. ontario	widespread	all black	all black
C. sacajaweae	widespread	all black	all black
C. chalybeus	Eastern	uniquely metallic purple-black	black legs
C. dubius	Western	all black	all black
C. flexus	Western	all black	all black
C. nigromaculatus	Western	black, scutum with grey stripes	all black
C. parvus	Western	abdomen with 6 pairs grey spots

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Xylota

stout, elongate
similar to Chalcosyrphus; separate using individual patterning from photos and narrower hind femur (lateral view; side margins ~convex near apex (dorsal view)

Eastern spp with T2-3 entirely orange (many others in West):

X. flavitibia - base orange-red, often entire abdomen; metatarsi basally yellowish (similar to Chalcosyrphus libo but wings not infuscated and tibia not as starkly white-black); arista not lightened - hind leg dark, but with prominently white tibial base, rest of tibia black and white tarsal base - blackish thorax

X. bicolor - base orange-red, often entire abdomen; metatarsus with dark first 3 segments; arista basally lightened - hind leg entirely dark -blackish thorax

X. segnis - T2-3 orange, T4-5 black; pro, femora black; mes tibiae+tarsus pale, met tibia apical ⅔ black, metatarsus basally brown-darker but still lightish - hind leg dark, but with light tibial base and tarsal base - brownish thorax

X. angustiventris males have a black abdomen with a pair of round pale spots on T2, distinctively.

dd

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Hawaiian species

… in development

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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
http://syrphidae.myspecies.info/ classification
Skevington, Locke, Young, Moran, Crins, Marshall, 2019. Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America. Princeton University Press.
Australian-Oceanian Diptera Catalog
Notes about Syritta spp ID by Martin Hauser

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References

Other sources consulted for this specific document include:

Moran, Skevington, 2019. Revision of world Sphecomyia Latreille (Diptera, Syrphidae). Zookeys 836: 15-79
Curran, 1953. Notes and descriptions of some Mydaidae and Syrphidae. American Museum Novitates, 1645: 1-15.

Curran, 1939. The species of Temnostoma related to bombylans Linné (Syrphidae, Diptera). American Museum Novitates, 1040: 1-3. http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/handle/2246/2224//v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/nov/N1040.pdf?sequence=1

Shannon. 1939. Temnostoma bombylans and related species (Syrphidae. Diptera). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 41: 215-224. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/54651#page/253/mode/1up

Curran, 1941. New American Syrphidae. Bulletin of American Museum Natural History, LXXVIII, III, 243-304.
Jones, C. R. 1917. New species of Colorado Syrphidae. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 10: 219-231.

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References

Thomspon, 1996. Spilomyia Flower Flies of the New World (Diptera: Syrphidae). Memoir Entomol. Soc. Wash 18: 261-272.
Curran, 1951. Synopsis of the North American Species of Spilomyia (Syrphidae, Diptera). American Museum Novitates, 1492.
Curran, 1925. Contribution to a monograph of the American Syrphidae north of Mexico. Kans. Univ.Sci. Bull. (1924) 15: 7-216