Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#1565440
Physoconops fronto - female

Physoconops fronto - Female
south of Crestone, Saguache County, Colorado, USA
July 18, 2018
Even Dankowicz (curator) on iNaturalist has suggested that this fly is P. fronto. There is only one other on BG, and it looks good to me, but I am far from an expert. Very far.

Images of this individual: tag all
Physoconops fronto - female Physoconops? - Physoconops fronto - female Physoconops? - Physoconops fronto

Moved
Moved from Conopinae.

Yes, Pam...Even is correct! And your post adds one more welcome field-sighting to BG for the relatively rare species Physoconops fronto...which is can be a subtle trickster in "imitating" the much more common Physocephala texana.

But there are a number of characters that indicate P. fronto over P. texana here, among them:

1) the shape of the discal cell and the placement of cross-vein "r-m", which both conform to that of genus Physoconops here, rather than Physocephala (see wing-diagrams here for details); 2) the lack of any vestige of the "T-shaped" marking on the frons characteristic of the genus Physocephala (though that marking is sometimes extremely vague in P. texana); and 3) the conspicuous black tarsi here which contrast nicely with the yellow pulvilli (= "toe-nails") and the yellow tibiae (in R. texana the tarsi are pale yellow to reddish)
P. fronto is in the nominate subgenus of Physoconops, which is characterized by having the 3rd antennal segment about 2/3 the length of the 2nd; and also a small triangular indentation about mid-way along the hind-edge of the eye (clearly visible in the 2nd photo of the series here).

Physoconops fronto is also sometimes mistaken for another species, Physoconops gracilis, which is in subgenus Pachyconops, and has (among other things) the 3rd antennal about equal in length to the 2nd. Also, the 1st posterior cell (indicated by "r5" in this wing venation diagram) is mostly infuscated in Physoconops gracilis...whereas in P. fronto the 1st posterior cell is almost entirely hyaline, as in your photos here.

BTW, this is a female, from the subtly apparent "theca" (or "bump") under the 4th & 5th abdominal segments (though the angle of view isn't optimal here for seeing that clearly). In general, the theca in females of Physoconops are appreciably larger than those of Physocephala.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.