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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Calyptratae » Oestroidea » Parasitic Flies (Tachinidae) » Phasiinae » Gymnosomatini » Xanthomelanodes » Xanthomelanodes arcuatus
Photo#1035416
Xanthomelanodes sp. - Xanthomelanodes arcuatus
Copyright © 2015 Steve Scholnick

Xanthomelanodes sp. - Xanthomelanodes arcuatus
North Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
September 19, 2014
I’m trying to figure out which species of Xanthomelanodes this is. It looks like the images that are separated out as X. arcuatus and BugGuide’s data say that this species is found in Maryland. However, I can’t find any information on how to separate X. arcuatus from the other 4 species of Xanthomelanodes. Is it possible to take this ID to the species level with this image? If not, what features would I have to capture to make the ID?
Thanks in advance.
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Contributed by Steve Scholnick on 22 January, 2015 - 11:24pm
Last updated 15 May, 2015 - 12:38pm

Moved
Moved from Xanthomelanodes.
… Keith Bayless, 15 May, 2015 - 12:38pm login or register to post comments

Tachinidae: Xanthomelanodes arcuatus
Tachinidae: Xanthomelanodes arcuatus
… Norm Woodley, 15 May, 2015 - 11:57am login or register to post comments

Additional information
This paper has a key to 4 North American species of Xanthomelanodes. The following choices in the couplets suggest that my photo is of Xanthomelanodes arcuatus:

“Legs predominantly black, tibiae and tarsi entirely so and femora black on distal half or more; antenna almost entirely black”
“Front relatively narrow, at vertex 0.19-0.22 times the width of the head (average 0.21)”

The ratios given for the remaining 2 species are 0.246 and 0.257. Measuring pixels in my photo, the vertex:head ratio is ~0.18 so its at the lower range given for X. arcuatus.

Caveat: The paper is 65 years old so the classification scheme may not be current, and only four species are covered vs. the five BugGuide says are in North America. Also, the paper refers to the species name as “arcuata" which I assume is just a gender difference.

I’ll leave it up to a contributing editor to determine whether or not this “analysis” is believable enough to move the photo to the species level
… Steve Scholnick, 23 January, 2015 - 10:41pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… v belov, 23 January, 2015 - 6:56pm login or register to post comments

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