Thanks, Ann, for your comments. My initial ID was Oligia latruncula and was made from the MPG page. When I checked out BG I found this species with just one single image and with an entirely different Hodges# (9398.6 instead of 9415.2); if you follow you will see the page. Steve Nanz via Steve Walter got the ID confirmation of that specimen. If I remember correctly, I included O. strigilis as a candidate species because it had the "related" Hodges# 9415.1, but O. latruncula is my real choice! Is there a specific way to get Steve Nanz to check out this submission?

I can't find any evidence that latruncula has been found outside of Brooklyn and Queens, NY. There are data points on the MPG map near your location but not for NYC making me wonder if it's a mistake. It was discovered in NYC by Steve Walter. I see that he submitted samples to BOLD back in 2004 and I seem to recall they were dissected as well. The discovery was recognized in Lafontaine & Schmidt 2010 (1).

Oligia latruncula is part of a species complex which also incudes O. strigilis, another intrudced species which is found in your area, and O. versicolor which has not been reported in NA. All three are variable with dark forms which according to several European web sites can only be reliably separated by dissection or DNA. I checked the BIN group at BOLD for O. strigilis and it contained an example very similar to yours but it was identified as O. versicolor. Looking at the tree, it appears that those two species are in separate branches of the same BIN.

O. strigilis is not recorder in NYC. I'm assume Steve Walter used Occum's razor to confirm the ID of the above referenced BG image. Unless the MPG map for latruncula is correct, which I find difficult to believe since it omitts the most important data point, O. strigilis would seem more likely for your example. However, contrary to what the the European websites state, I was not able to find any examples on the web of O. strigilis looking like your image, only O. versicolor.

Many thanks for your efforts, Steve. Since Block Island is about 14 miles from the east tip of Long Island, there is a straight path from Queens north-east along Long Island to here and the prevailing south-westerly wind would ease the sea crossing. From what you have said, I continue to favor O. latruncula but realize a definite ID is well nigh impossible. I will have to look out for another specimen next summer and collect it!

I moved it to genus but would not object to moving it to species.

I moved it but labeled it Tentative. I saw your new additions and almost had second thoughts! Anyone unhappy with this ID should move it back to Oligia.

I will ask him to take a look.