fly with golden hairs on ninebark - Thevenetimyia lotus

Female

Forgot to mention that...from dichoptic eyes.

… Aaron Schusteff, 7 January, 2013 - 2:46am

Moved

Moved from Thevenetimyia.

Studying the keys and descriptions in Hall (1969), I'm pretty sure this is T. lotus. Hall mentions (on pg. 44) that T. lotus is commonly confused with T. luctifera, but can be distinguished by the short black hair immediately above the antennae; and the nearly hyaline second basal, anal, and axillary cells. Due to the photo angles here, it's hard to tell whether there is black hair immediately above the antennae...but it's clear, especially in the 2nd image, that the 2nd basal, anal, and axillary cells are hyaline here. The wings are uniformly infuscated in T. luctifera.

Also, as far as the Colorado locale goes, Hall states:

"This is a very widespread western species (see map 7), ranging from southern California to British Columbia and east to Montana. It is very likely that the distribution is continuous through the Rocky Mountains southward to the one record in New Mexico."

… Aaron Schusteff, 7 January, 2013 - 2:15am

T. lotus

Thanks so much for this ID to species, Aaron. I checked a couple of other photos I have. As you say, some of the wing cells are nearly hyaline. The one photo I could find of the face showed "whiskers" of mixed black and white hairs around the antennal bases. I couldn't tell for sure if there were short black hair, but the area is black. I am sending an enlargement of the face.

… Lynn Monroe, 7 January, 2013 - 12:39pm

Moved

Moved from Bee Flies.

… Joel Kits, 2 December, 2012 - 6:10pm

Thevenetimyia

Again, thanks so much for this identification to genus of this unusual bee fly, Joel. What a fascinating group!

… Lynn Monroe, 2 December, 2012 - 6:56pm

Did some looking...

Resembles Thevenetimyia luctifera:

All of BG's images are from the West Coast, though, so wait for expert confirmation/correction.

… Ken Wolgemuth, 30 November, 2012 - 6:58pm

Thevenetimyia luctifera

I still can't believe this is a bee fly! What a variable group! I'm sure you definitely have the genus, and when we compared this bee fly with ours, they seem to be identical in several structural details as well as the golden and black pattern. Interesting to me that most of the flies in this genus in BugGuide are shown on flowers in the Rose family. Thanks so much for this identification.

… Lynn Monroe, 1 December, 2012 - 11:05am

Moved for expert attention

Moved from ID Request.

… Ken Wolgemuth, 30 November, 2012 - 6:48pm