Calliphorid? - Muscina pascuorum

Muscina pascuorum

Moved from House Flies and kin. Keyed from specimen, now a photo-voucher. Thanks Tom.

Some features are the black tibiae, partially reddish last (3rd) antennal segment, 2nd antennal black, fine hairs on lateral ventral margin of scutellum (not visible), and the large lower calypter being very broad and extending under edge of scutellum.

Also, I note that in both of Tom's males, as well as two males from Indiana, that the sides of the basal abdominal segments have a yellowish color, sometimes visible only from a certain angle. All four females I have of this species do not have this feature. I don't know the reliability of this character for species or genus.

(I was unable to tell which specimen was which, so I will assign them to a photo-number arbitrarily.)

… Brad Barnd, 3 July, 2012 - 9:26pm

Moved

Moved from Flies.

… tom murray, 18 June, 2012 - 8:33pm

Maybe Muscidae

I suspect Muscidae but I'm not sure. The bend in M is not as sharp as usual in Calliphoridae.

… John F. Carr, 18 June, 2012 - 8:25pm

I was thinking the same thing

for the two Tom posted

… Brad Barnd, 18 June, 2012 - 8:39pm

Muscina?

Muscina? assimilis?

… John F. Carr, 18 June, 2012 - 8:43pm

could well be Muscina

assimilis has all black antenna and I think I see some yellow, so perhaps pascuorum? I don't know the ranges of all the species though...

… Brad Barnd, 18 June, 2012 - 9:09pm

Ranges

pabulorum: Holarctic (south to Arizona, Ohio)

pascuorum: Eastern (south to Georgia); Europe

assimilis: Holarctic (arctic south to S. California, Oklahoma, Georgia)

dorsilinea: South and West; Mexico

flukei: West

fulvacrura: West

stabulans: Everywhere

Antenna color has to be on certain segments in the key.

… John F. Carr, 18 June, 2012 - 9:11pm

thanks

I would say it's pascuorum vs pabulorum vs maybe assimilis (assuming Muscina). I would still lean towards pascuorum.

(fwiw, I have a few M. assimilis specimens and they have entirely black antennae)

… Brad Barnd, 18 June, 2012 - 9:24pm

Would specimens help?

I could send these 2 flies along with the Scarabs.

… tom murray, 18 June, 2012 - 9:51pm

if you want, sure

should be fairly easy to key in-hand

… Brad Barnd, 18 June, 2012 - 9:55pm

Great

I'll be sending a package soon.

… tom murray, 18 June, 2012 - 9:59pm