Genus Dolichopus

Dolichopus Latreille, 1796

"The name of the genus (δολιχός, long, and ποὺς, foot) has reference to the length of the feet of its species." -- Hermann Loew

Over 300 species in North America

Adult males often have modified legs, eg. flattened tarsi forming "flags." (For example, see (1)).

Holarctic, more species in North. Only five species are found in Florida, and three in Mexico.

Key to Southeastern species in Robinson 1964.(2) Key to Nearctic species in Van Duzee and Curran 1934.(3)

Species are normally identified by color of legs, hairs behind head, and hairs under base of wing, combined with male secondary sexual characters (MSSC). Often partial combinations do not define natural groups; the closest relative of a species with striking MSSC may be plain, and the same MSSC may recur in unrelated groups.

Loew, Hermann. 1864. Monographs of the Diptera of North America. (Google books)

Steyskal, G.C. 1973b. The North American species of Dolichopus Latreille, Group B (Diptera, Dolichopodidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 46(3):347­-359 (key to species with dark femora, orbitial cilia, and squamal cilia)

Van Duzee, M. C., Frank R. Cole, and John M. Aldrich. 1921. The dipterous genus Dolichopus in North America. Bull. U.S. Natn. Mus 116 (Google books)