Numbers
Nearctica.com lists 27 species.
Arnett, p. 874, lists three subgenera:
O. s. str. (15 spp),
Odontomyiina (7 spp.),
Catatasina (9 spp.), for a total of 31 spp.
(1)Identification
Variable, abdomen usually black, often strongly marked with yellow-green bands. Species identification requires examination of genitalia in many cases.
Habitat
Woodlands, fields, usually near water.
Season
Typically spring-early summer. April-June (various species, North Carolina), May-July (various species, Minnesota)
Food
Adults take nectar, also sometimes found on dung.
Life Cycle
Eggs are laid on the edge of body of water. Larvae are aquatic, feed on algae. They stick tip of abdomen up through water surface to obtain air.
One reference (Forestry Images--see Internet references) states larva is associated with Southern Pine Beetles.
Print References
Swan and Papp, p. 606, fig. 1293--O. communis
(2)
Milne, p. 650, fig. 519
(4)Internet References
North Carolina State University Entomology Collection lists O. cincta (7 specs.) and interrupta (13 specs.)
Contributed by
Cotinis on 4 October, 2004 - 10:49pm
Last updated 15 March, 2005 - 12:29pm
