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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Orthorrhapha" (Brachycera excluding Aschiza and Schizophora) » Asiloidea » Bee Flies (Bombyliidae) » Anthracinae » Villini » Hemipenthes » Sinuous Bee Fly (Hemipenthes sinuosa)

Species Hemipenthes sinuosa - Sinuous Bee Fly

Strange Fly? - Hemipenthes sinuosa Bee Fly - Hemipenthes sinuosa Bee Fly - Hemipenthes sinuosa Chocolate bee fly (Hemipenthes sinuosa) - Hemipenthes sinuosa Bee Fly - Hemipenthes sinuosa Orange County Bee Fly Archives #200 - Hemipenthes sinuosa Bee fly - Lupton / West Branch, Michigan - Hemipenthes sinuosa Bee Fly - Hemipenthes sinuosa
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon ("Orthorrhapha" (Brachycera excluding Aschiza and Schizophora))
Superfamily Asiloidea
Family Bombyliidae (Bee Flies)
Subfamily Anthracinae
Tribe Villini
Genus Hemipenthes
Species sinuosa (Sinuous Bee Fly)
Explanation of Names
SINUOSA: from the Latin "sinus" (a curve); "sinuous" means curving in and out; winding; undulating - refers to the wavy border of the black area on the wings
Size
6-8 mm
Identification
black area of wing has irregular sinuous (wavy) border with a small rounded blob near the apex - a distinguishing feature
abdomen, thorax, and head black or very dark with no banding or other obvious markings
Range
widely distributed - most of North America?
Habitat
open areas with sandy or well-drained soil and sparse or low vegetation
See Also
in other species of Hemipenthes, the black area of the wing has a sharp-cornered zigzag border, and there is no rounded blob near the apex (see several sample photos in the Guide)
Internet References
pinned adult image (Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota)
live adult image - species mislabelled "sinuata" (Charles Lewallen, Oklahoma)
live adult image (Giff Beaton, Georgia)
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 2 April, 2005 - 7:21pm
Last updated 15 August, 2005 - 11:22pm

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