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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Small-headed Flies (Acroceridae) » Pterodontia » Pterodontia misella
Photo#1058862
Small Headed Fly - Pterodontia misella - female
Copyright © 2015 Arthur Scott Macmillan

Small Headed Fly - Pterodontia misella - Female
Summit of Indian Knob, San Luis Obispo County, California, USA
April 19, 2015
Size: 9mm
I was determined to see the head!
-My assumption was that the antennae emerge from the wedge at the bottom of the eyes. While, I still believe that, owing to process of elimination, I was a little shaken to see a photo of Pterodontia flavipes that had the presence of both a superior mid orbital wedge, and inferior mid orbital antennae. See Aaron's Pterodontia flavipes for comparison:

Superior wedge: Inferior antennae:

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Small Headed Fly - Pterodontia misella - female Small Headed Fly - Pterodontia misella - female Small Headed Fly - Pterodontia misella - female Small Headed Fly - Pterodontia misella - female Small Headed Fly - Pterodontia misella - female Small Headed Fly - Pterodontia misella - female Small Headed Fly - Pterodontia misella - female
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Contributed by Arthur Scott Macmillan on 23 April, 2015 - 12:34am
Last updated 25 April, 2015 - 11:46pm

"Inferior wedge" here = face; "Superior wedge" = vertex
Due to their bizarre-looking morphology (e.g. very small hemispherical heads, with holoptic eyes meeting medially along almost their entire length) what is traditionally called the "face" in Diptera is reduced in Ptreodontia to the tiny area you are referring to as the "inferior wedge".

So taking that into account...although it looks very unusual here...the small delicate antennae are actually attached in a position typical for Diptera, i.e. at the "top of the face". Note that the mouthparts here are obsolete (i.e. virtually nonexistent)...presumably adults don't feed in their brief existence.

Also, the vertex (area at top of head) is extremely reduced in size here (corresponding to your "superior wedge"). I presume ocelli are squeezed in there, though I can't really make them out, even in the full-size version of 1st image you "thumbnailed" in your remarks above.
… Aaron Schusteff, 26 April, 2015 - 12:45pm login or register to post comments

 
Ocelli!?!?
I knew their would be something I forgot! I wonder if they are present!
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 1 May, 2015 - 3:27pm login or register to post comments

 
Yes
Cole(1) states:

"There are three ocelli on the small vertical protuberance."

But I can't make them out in your (dorsal) photo (not the ventral shot above)...they must by very tiny, and pollen and other debris makes it hard to discern things clearly.
… Aaron Schusteff, 5 May, 2015 - 10:50pm login or register to post comments

 
If I get another chance I'm going to try to find them!
I'm not going to count on getting a photo of them, though.
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 6 May, 2015 - 12:04am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Small-headed Flies.
… Aaron Schusteff, 25 April, 2015 - 11:46pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Flies.
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 23 April, 2015 - 2:27pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 23 April, 2015 - 2:11pm login or register to post comments

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