Explanation of Names
Author of genus is Loew, 1869. Presumably from Greek hemi-, half, plus Greek penthes, a form of Greek penthos, grief, or mourning. (Based on Interenet searches.) This likely refers to the wing pattern, half covered in a dark mourning veil.
Numbers
Nearctica.com lists 24 species in North America
Size
6-12 mm, wingspan up to 22 mm
Identification
Body dark, often with scattered pale metalic-colored hairs on abdomen and/or thorax; wings with dark leading edge; dark area of wing has irregular rear border; trailing edge of wing clear. Proboscis fairly short, does not project beyond face. Face bluntly rounded. Rear margin of eye indented. Front tibia has dark bristles.
Season
Late spring to early fall. July-September (H. celeris, North Carolina). May-September (H. sinuosa, North Carolina). June-August (H. sinuosa, Minnesota).
Remarks
A genus that seems to be fairly common in collections and fairly frequently photographed.
See Also
Chrysanthrax has similar wing pattern, but boundary is more linear (not so sinuate), plus golden hair on body.
Print References
From North Carolina, Brimley, p. 341, lists H. celeris, presumably, as
Villa celer, and H. sinuosa as
Villa sinuosa (1).
Internet References
Herschel Raney's key--based on Hull,
Bee Flies of the World
Oklahoma Biological Survey--
Hemipenthes sinuosa (mislabeled
sinuata; no such species)
North Carolina State University Entomology Collection lists two species for that state, with number pinned:
celeris (16),
sinuosa (25)
live adult image of holarctic species
H. morio (W. Funk, Germany)
Contributed by
Cotinis on 23 June, 2004 - 3:29pm
Additional contributions by
Robin McLeod,
Ron M.Last updated 23 July, 2009 - 12:00am
