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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Small-headed Flies (Acroceridae) » Pterodontia » Pterodontia misella
Photo#1058997
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
Is it female is it male? The following description applies to Genus Acrocera, and would if applicable here suggest (to me) that this is male:

"The abdomen of a male ends bluntly in a fairly large subglobular structure; the female adbdomen ends in an elongate tapered ovipositor"

The problem is that this is not Acrocera due to hairy eyes, and inferior position of the antennae. But fairly large sub-globular structure does seem to fit. At any rate knowing the sex is key because I am running out of genera if this is male!

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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 - 3:51pm
Last updated 25 April, 2015 - 11:46pm

Lack of "tooth" on wing margin => female here
Male Pterodontia have the distinctive tooth on their wing margins...although that's not unique to this acrocerid genus, as males of the species Turboopsebius sulphuripes have such a tooth as well:

 

And, as you pointed out, I believe males and females of Acrocera (and Turbopsebius too) have fairly conspicuous external terminalia structures that help distinguish them. But I don't see a similar situation for posted images of Pterodontia. Someone who knows the genus better may be able to discern male and female Pterodontia from an image like yours above...but as you noted in your original remarks...since this is Pterodontia, the lack of "wing tooth" here is sufficient to conclude that this is a female.
… Aaron Schusteff, 26 April, 2015 - 12:37am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for answering my question!
What I gather is that the terminal appendage, so recognizable in the female is probably able to be withdrawn when not in use. That would make sense. Of course, it could be simply broken off, but if I were to guess, I'd say that there is sufficient room for it to be retracted.

Thanks for the reality check!
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 1 May, 2015 - 3:59pm login or register to post comments

 
Don't think an ovipositor is visible in most acrocerids...
...except for genus Acrocera, where females of most species have a discernible flat, projecting structure and two small, pointy, lateral cerci.

For Pterodontia Cole(1) states:

"The genitalia are retracted and the structure hard to make out."
… Aaron Schusteff, 5 May, 2015 - 11:01pm login or register to post comments

 
Well, at least Pterodontia was kind enough...
...to give us the wing tooth on the males. Thanks for clarifying this information. It's helped me a lot, and I'm sure others will learn from this too!
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 6 May, 2015 - 12:09am 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

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