bristly gray fly - Aldrichia ehrmanii - BugGuide.Net

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Asiloidea » Bee Flies (Bombyliidae) » Bombyliinae » Conophorini » Aldrichia » Aldrichia ehrmanii

Photo#8910

Copyright © 2004 Robin McLeod

bristly gray fly - Aldrichia ehrmanii

near Ailsa Craig, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada
May 26, 2004
Size: 7-8 mm

On hawthorn leaf in wooded area beside river. Even its antennae seemed bristly. I have no idea what this one is.

Update 8 May 2006: see Hartmut's info and comments on the other individual which I think is the same species as this one. Image moved from family page to new genus page.

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Contributed by Robin McLeod on 5 December, 2004 - 12:47pm
Last updated 9 June, 2008 - 4:17pm

Moved

Moved from Aldrichia.

… Joel Kits, 9 June, 2008 - 4:17pm

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Hello Robin,

Just came across your images (the present one, and #8911) while browsing photos of Bombyliidae. Fascinating insects! Have you at all investigated the genus Conophorus, Bombyliidae? Your fly (also your male #8911) has the swollen antennae, with bristles it seems, which is a character of Conophorus. According to Neal Evenhuis (Bishop Museum, HI), only one other genus in the Bombyliidae has slightly swollen antennae, but not as bristly: Sparnopolius, with evenly cropped hair, rather than the uneven bristly appearance of Conophorus.
Species in your province include C. atrabulus, C. melanoceratus.

Of course, I could be mistaken, that there's not enough bristle on the antennae, or the latter not swollen (though it looks like it to me).

… Hartmut Wisch, 2 April, 2006 - 7:10pm

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Bee fly

Definitely a bee fly, family Bombyliidae, resembling Lepidophora, but those usually have a "broken back" appearance.

… Eric R. Eaton, 6 December, 2004 - 10:27am

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Therevidae?

I think a stiletto fly, family Therevidae, but since variation in North-America is much bigger than in Northwestern I cannot be certain as yet.

Paul

http://www.diptera.info

… Paul Beuk, 5 December, 2004 - 3:11pm

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Stiletto Fly

Thanks, Paul. I've since found an Australian page with photos of about 20 species/genera. There's great variation in color and pattern but similarities in form are noticeable: elongate body, prominent antennae, spindly legs, and long slender abdomen often tapering to a point. Stiletto Fly is a good name for the family.

… Robin McLeod, 5 December, 2004 - 9:15pm

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