Page 2 · Longlegged Flies (Dolichopodidae) - 266 Species, Identification & Facts

Rhaphium melampus

Identification: The only Eastern Rhaphium with all black legs

Scellus notatus

Body length 5 to 6 mm. The wings are dark tinted with a discrete dark spot towards the tip. It has long bristles on the undersides of the front femora and front tibia. Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo is required. If the photo doesn'

Scellus virago

Identification: Aldrich's original 1907 description can be read at this BHL link . The " cingulum " is a distinctive structure associated with male Scellus . It is a "U"-shaped structure that girdles the underside of the abdomen (hidden there beneat

Sciapus delicatus

Identification: Flattened mid tarsi are distinctive

Sciapus pallens

Identification: Fourth segment of fore tarsus white, slightly enlarged.

Sciapus platypterus

Length 6 or 7mm. Males have white middle tarsi. Females have front femora with a row of strong ventral spines in the basal half and three strong bristles at the top of the front coxa. The genus Sciapus is recognised by the wing venation. Vein M forks

Sciapus tener

Identification: Especially long legs, first segment of hind tarsi white (at least in male). Females have the first abdominal segment yellowish.

Sciapus wiedemanni

Identification: The only dull gray Sciapodinae on the West Coast.

Sympycnus montanus

Identification: Last two joints of male mid tarsus enlarged and black. Hind tarsus black from tip of first joint.

Syntormon strataegum

The most common of a group of species with two strong bristles below a curved hind basitarsus, male secondary sexual character.

Tachytrechus angustipennis

Identification: Legs black with greenish reflections; face yellowish, diverging below; costa distinctly thickened near base of wing; wing without apical brown spot.

Tachytrechus auratus

Identification: Male with large black oval at tip of antennae, arista much longer than head height, fore femur with long hairs below, fore tarsi yellow at base, postocular hairs mostly pale.

Tachytrechus floridensis

Identification: Male with a large brown spot and no white spot at wing tip.

Tachytrechus laticrus

Identification: Both sexes are unique in the pattern of pubescence on the mesonotum. Additionally, the males have the tibiae flattened and widened, paddle-like.

Tachytrechus moechus

Identification: The form of the male antenna is distinctive among eastern species.

Tachytrechus protervus

Identification: Males with distinct flattening of the anterior of the fore tibia. Females similar to T. laticrus but with less yellow on the femora and a narrow costal vein.

Tachytrechus tenuiseta

Identification: The male has yellow femora, black orbital cilia, and a moderately elongate lamella at the tip of the arista, the narrower basal half white.

Tachytrechus vorax

Identification: Wing of male with brown spot larger than white spot.

Xanthochlorus helvinus

Identification: Distinguished from other North American Dolichopodidae by the combination of uniformly yellow color, no preapical bristles on mid and hind femora, acrostichals absent, and posterior third of scutum flattened.