Genus Delia

Delia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830

Formerly considered a subgenus of Hylemya, to which it is not closely related.

Robineau-Desvoidy used female first names for some of his genera.

100+ species in North America

Male with flat abdomen (also in a few other genera). Males of some of the common species have a large number of short posteroventral bristles on the hind tibia. Usually more than 2 posterodorsal bristles on hind tibia. Almost all species lack the 1-2 anterodorsal setae on the anepisternum below the anterior notopleural seta. Usually dark gray with black legs. Some species can be mostly orange.

Some species may have a projecting lower facial margin, widened parafrontals, a narrowed face, hairy notopleura, modified tarsal articles in either or both males and/or females, long dorsal setulae on some tarsal articles in the male (the only other anthomyiids in our area in which these setulae are known to occur in are Alliopsis pilitarsis and Lasiomma cuneicorne), and discal setae on the distal abdominal tergites.

See (1) for information on some of the common pest species.

Cosmopolitan, but primarily in boreal to arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Nearctic species were revised by Griffiths in Anthomyiidae volumes 7-10 of Flies of the Nearctic Region published from 1991 to 1993.