bee fly - Thevenetimyia muricata

Thanks Hartmut

For the identification and the new guide page with all the info filled in!

… tom murray, 1 July, 2008 - 4:27pm

You're welcome -

I just noticed that a Thevenetimyia I saw in the Santa Lucia Range recently has got to be T. notata after discovering I had one photo that showed some orange on the abdomen of that female. Until then I puzzled over it because it looked like muricata , but in the wrong place.
Then I recalled some notes I had taken last October, including on your post...

… Hartmut Wisch, 1 July, 2008 - 4:50pm

Hello Tom,

I think this fly is a male (eyes holoptic) of T. muricata .
One of the diagnostic characters is the strongly denticulate costa of the wing (visible here).
Other characters speaking in favor of muricata : wing is entirely infuscated with dark brown, center of cells subhyaline; the shining black abdomen, lacking tomentum, though black pilose (at least some black hair), scutellum shining. Distribution also works, T. muricata is a high-elevation species and has been found in this part of the Sierras.
The very similar T. notata males have white pile on occiput and abdomen. Also, notata is more of a coastal mountain dweller.

… Hartmut Wisch, 1 July, 2008 - 1:24pm

Moved

Moved from Bee Flies.

… Joel Kits, 27 March, 2007 - 9:17pm

Moved

Moved from Orthorrhapha.

… Keith Bayless, 15 February, 2007 - 1:05am

Moved up

To Orthorrhapha until there is some agremment.

… Beatriz Moisset, 28 July, 2006 - 6:30pm

Looks more like Robber Fly (Asilidae)

not bee fly.

… Adalbert Goertz, 20 July, 2006 - 10:02pm

Flower fly

Definitely not a meat eater, not a robber.

… Herschel Raney, 23 July, 2006 - 9:48pm