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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Platypezoidea » Pointed-winged Flies (Lonchopteridae) » Lonchoptera » Lonchoptera bifurcata

Species Lonchoptera bifurcata

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Life Cycle · Remarks · Works Cited

Small Orangish Fly - Lonchoptera bifurcata - female

Lonchopteridae? - Lonchoptera bifurcata - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon ("Aschiza")

Superfamily Platypezoidea

Family Lonchopteridae (Pointed-winged Flies)

Genus Lonchoptera

Species bifurcata (Lonchoptera bifurcata)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Lonchoptera bifurcata (Fallén, 1810)

Synonyms:

Dipsa bifurcata Fallén, 1810

Dipsa furcata Fallén, 1823

Lonchoptera lacustris Meigen, 1824

Lonchoptera rivalis Meigen, 1824

Lonchoptera cinerella Zetterstedt, 1838

Lonchoptera pseudotrilineata Strobl, 1899

Lonchoptera dubia Curran, 1934

Lonchoptera apicalis Meigen in Morge, 1975

Size

2.4 to 2.7 mm (1)

Identification

Pale vertical and upper post-ocular bristles, and pointed wings. Most similar to L. megaloba Klymko, a western species. (1)

There are dark-phase and light phase individuals, as well as intermediate colored individuals. Abdomen either entirely dark or pale with dark dorsal vitta. (1)

Range

Cosmopolitan; in North America, throughout Canada and the US south to GA-TN-KS-CA. (1)

State/Province Records: (1)

Canada: All provinces except Nunavut.

USA: CA, CO, CT, DC, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, MD, ME, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

Habitat

Adult Lonchoptera are usually associated with wet grassy habitats. (1)

Larval Lonchoptera are usually found in decaying organic material. (1)

Life Cycle

Males are extremely rare and most populations worldwide seem to be parthenogenetic. (1)

Remarks

The most common species in the east, characterized by yellow post-ocellar bristles, 2+ bristles on the fore tibiae, and habitat in lawns. --Stephen Luk

Works Cited

1.	Review of the Nearctic Lonchopteridae (Diptera), including descriptions of three new species Klymko J., Marshall S.A. 2008. The Canadian Entomologist 140: 649-673.

Contributed by Keith Bayless on 6 July, 2009 - 2:47pm
Additional contributions by Bbarnd, Vox Sciurorum, v belov
Last updated 11 April, 2015 - 8:41pm

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