Identification
Inward-pointing anterior dorsocentral or intra-alar bristles distinguish Rachispoda from Leptocera.
Use Wheeler 1995
(1) to place into species group.
Habitat
Biology poorly known, but are often found associated with muddy substrates. Some are adapted to saline habitats such as seashores and salt marshes.
(1)Remarks
aequipilosa group (SE Nearctic, Neotropical)
atra group (Nearctic, rarely Neotropical)
Rachispoda arnaudi Wheeler - southwest
Rachispoda atra (Adams) - southwest
Rachispoda canadensis Wheeler - widespread
Rachispoda digitata Wheeler - southwest
Rachispoda falcicula Wheeler - California
Rachispoda mexicana Wheeler - southwest
Rachispoda pectinata Wheeler - western
Rachispoda subsolana Wheeler - eastern
Rachispoda subulata Wheeler - southwest
cryptica group (Nearctic, mostly western)
fumipennis group (Nearctic, rarely Neotropical Mexico)
fuscinervis group (Neotropical, rarely SE Nearctic)
fuscipennis group (cosmopolitan, 1 New World species)
Rachispoda fuscipennis (Haliday) - widespread, primarily a shoreline species
limosa group (Holarctic)
Rachispoda anathema Wheeler - western
Rachispoda cryptistyla Wheeler - northeast, rarely western
Rachispoda frosti (Johnson) - northeast
Rachispoda hoplites (Spuler) - northwest, rarely eastern
Rachispoda limosa (Fallen) - widespread (Holarctic)
lutosa group (Nearctic, rarely Central America/Caribbean)
m-nigrum group (SE Nearctic, Neotropical)
vespertina group (western Nearctic)
Rachispoda lacustrina Wheeler - northwest
Rachispoda spatulata Wheeler - western, esp. California/Mexico
Rachispoda vespertina Wheeler - western
Neotropical species groups not found in BugGuide's area:
divergens group (Neotropical)
maculinea group (Neotropical)
marginalis group (Neotropical)
