Posted by Steve Scholnick on 19-03-2020 20:06
#1
Update: ID'd to
Earomyia aberrans by Iain MacGown through dissection of genitalia. Thanks Iain!
This one appears to key out to
Earomyia using the Manual of the Nearctic Diptera. In the
Lonchaeidae Online key it resolves to couplet 5,
Earomyia vs.
Fulgenta, but the key says that latter is "Afrotropical only". One caveat is that the
Lonchaeidae Online key describes
Earomyia as "arista usually bare" but I'd call this fly's arista pubescent.
body length ~ 4mm
Thanks for the help
Edited by Steve Scholnick on 09-10-2022 22:54
Posted by Iain MacGowan on 19-03-2020 21:58
#2
Hi Steve
Yes this is indeed an
Earomyia species. Sorry if the key in Lonchaeidae online was a bit misleading - several Nearctic species do have a pubescent arista. The genus is not well known in the Americas - only 8 described species and only 5 are included in a key (McAlpine, 1956) so possibly more species to be found!. It looks to me most similar to
Earomyia barbara - but it is known mostly from conifer areas on the west coast. It really needs an examination of the male genitalia to be sure of identity. Let me know if I can help further
......... Iain
Posted by Steve Scholnick on 19-03-2020 22:26
#3
Hi Iain,
Many thanks! I didn't take any photos of the ventral side because I couldn't get the fly straightened out to get a decent view. However, I think this one is a female. However, I've saved the specimen in ethanol if you think it's worth trying to get those photos
Steve
Posted by Steve Scholnick on 23-03-2020 18:13
#4
a quick and ugly ventral view of the abdominal apex. the specimen has been in ethanol since the original photos were posted
Edited by Steve Scholnick on 23-03-2020 18:14