Genus Boreothrinax

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Identification · Remarks · See Also · Print References

Pyrgotid Fly - Boreothrinax maculipennis

Mottled-winged fly - Boreothrinax maculipennis

Acalyptratae Fly - Boreothrinax maculipennis

Fly attracted to UV light - Boreothrinax

Boreothrinax maculipennis? - Boreothrinax

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon ("Acalyptratae")

Superfamily Tephritoidea

Family Pyrgotidae

Genus Boreothrinax

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Boreothrinax Steyskal 1978

Numbers

3 spp. in our area:

B. dichaetus Steyskal, 1978 -- Arizona, Mexico

B. maculipennis (Macquart) -- eastern states west to AZ

B. shewelli Steyskal, 1978 -- BC to CO

Identification

The two principal characters distinguishing the genus Boreothrinax from its closest relative, the genus Sphecomyiella, are:

1) a strongly constricted basal 1/3 of the hind tibia; and

2) the absence of a strong hooked apico-ventral claw on the female terminalia.

Other characters involving post-ocellar bristles and pleural setation also helped separate some of the species...see lines 9) and 10) of Steyskal's key for details. Still other characters not stated in Steyskal (e.g. strongly banded tibiae in Boreothrinax, and the extent of spots and stripes on the head in Sphecomyiella) seem to differ fairly consistently among the two genera.

Remarks

NOTE: From the first BugGuide post of this species on 4/28/05 until 9/22/13, this node in the BugGuide taxonomic tree was listed under the incorrect name "Pyrgota" maculipennis. See this forum for details on this issue. All the images previously under "Pyrgota" maculipennis on BugGuide have now been moved to this guide page under the corrected name.

See Also

Sphecomyiella and Boreothrinax are often confused with one another...see "Item 2)" in this BugGuide forum for further info.

Print References

Steyskal G.C. (1978) Synopsis of the North American Pyrgotidae (Diptera). Proc. ent. Soc. Wash. 80: 149-155 (Full Text)

Contributed by Aaron Schusteff on 23 September, 2013 - 12:07am
Additional contributions by Bbarnd
Last updated 13 June, 2015 - 8:57pm

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