Explanation of Names
Leskia Robineau-Desvoidy 1830
Range
worldwide
(2); in NA, 2 spp. eastern, one western (CA-CO to Mexico)
(1)Remarks
There is no key or detailed comparative description of the two eastern species. They differ slightly in form of palps, antennae, and proboscis. They are being separated here based on a combination of possibly overlapping character states:
The parafrontals of similis are narrower than depilis.
The subapical scutellar bristles of similis are more divergent than depilis.
The thoracic bristles of depilis seem to be slightly more developed on average, with similis missing the first post-sutural intra-alar and supra-alar (the Manual of Myiology separates the two species by the number of postsutural acrostichal setae, at least 2 pairs in depilis vs one in similis, with intra-alar and supra-alar differences also noted in the descriptions).
See Also
A newly recorded species from Arizona and Mexico known as Stomatodexia sp. keys to Leskia in the Manual of Nearctic Diptera's key by Wood. It differs from Leskia by the longer anterior notopleural seta compared to the posterior seta.
