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Species Chrysopilus ornatus - Ornate Snipe Fly

Representative Images

unidentified fly - Chrysopilus ornatus Rhagionidae, Ornate Snipe Fly, eyes & antennae - Chrysopilus ornatus - male Some kind of bee or fly that looks like a bee - Chrysopilus ornatus Ornate Snipe Fly - Chrysopilus ornatus - male Golden Fly - Chrysopilus ornatus - female Chrysopilus ornatus Snipe Fly - Chrysopilus ornatus - male Ragionidae, Common Snipe Fly, dorsal - Chrysopilus ornatus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon (Orthorrhapha)
Infraorder Tabanomorpha
Family Rhagionidae (Snipe Flies)
Genus Chrysopilus
Species ornatus (Ornate Snipe Fly)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Chrysopilus ornatus (Say, 1823)

Explanation of Names

Chryso is Greek for gold; pilus is Latin for hair. Ornatus is Latin for adorned.

Numbers

One of 32 Nearctic species in the genus.

Size

male: 11-13 mm; female: 14-17 mm (American Insects)

Identification

Light legs, gold satae on thorax and gold abdominal bands in females. Males can have either white or gold satae on thorax and bands on abdomen.

Season

Spring. May-July (North Carolina).

Print References

Brimley, p. 330 (1)
Marshall, p. 445--color photo (2)
Eaton and Kaufman, p. 286-287, color photo (3)

Works Cited

1.Insects of North Carolina
C.S. Brimley. 1938. North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
2.Insects: Their Natural History And Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America
Stephen A. Marshall. 2006. Firefly Books Ltd.
3.Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America
Eric Eaton, Kenn Kaufman. 2006. Houghton Mifflin.