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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Acalyptratae" » Sphaeroceroidea » Lesser Dung Flies (Sphaeroceridae) » Limosininae » Leptocera
Photo#380015
Phorid? - Leptocera
Copyright © 2010 Graham Montgomery

Phorid? - Leptocera
Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA
March 27, 2010
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Contributed by Graham Montgomery on 27 March, 2010 - 7:13pm
Last updated 27 March, 2010 - 8:56pm

Moved
Leptocera, I believe. Rachispoda is similar but with first dorsocentrals inclinate, which I don't think is the case here.

Moved from Flies.
… Joel Kits, 27 March, 2010 - 8:56pm login or register to post comments

 
Leptocera
Does the genus name come from the long arista? Is that useful in identification?
… John F. Carr, 27 March, 2010 - 9:00pm login or register to post comments

 
Leptocera
I suppose you're right about the genus name referring to the arista (leptos = thin, ceras = horn), but that isn't a useful character as far as I know - many Sphaeroceridae have similar elongate aristae. The additional bristles on the scutellum are characteristic and usually easily seen on Leptocera and Rachispoda (which are separated by the character I mentioned above); some other genera also have additional setae on the scutellum but I don't believe they are ever as prominent as they are in these two genera.
… Joel Kits, 27 March, 2010 - 9:18pm login or register to post comments

Not phorid, likely acalyptrate
The wing veins are too normal for Phoridae. My guess is an acalyptrate fly. Near Drosophilidae?? I can't tell the families apart.

(Identical comment on formerly linked image was based on this shot.)
… John F. Carr, 27 March, 2010 - 8:39pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks!
Thanks John and Joel.
… Graham Montgomery, 27 March, 2010 - 8:56pm login or register to post comments

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