Platypalpus harpiger
This record describes Platypalpus harpiger (species). Recorded family: Hybotidae. Recorded order: Diptera.
Identification and Appearance
Original description: Platypalpus harpiger , sp. nov. [Female] -- Length 5 mm. Body black, head and thorax closely gray pollinose, legs including coxae entirely yellow, the tip of the long tibial spur alone black; base of abdominal segments with narrow interrupted pollinose fasciae; antennae yellow, the third joint short; cross-veins separated, the posterior oblique. Front and face with parallel sides, the ground-color of the face yellow; epistome pollinose; one pair each of ocellar and vertical bristles yellow; proboscis black; palpi large, securiform, pale yellow, with a few pre-apical white hairs; antennae entirely yellow, the outer joint triangular, twice as long as deep and two-thirds as long as the black, moderately thick arista. Pollinosity of mesonotum dense, the setulae of the acrostichal and dorso-central rows and the bristles yellow, four scutellar bristles, center of sternopleurae polished; last two segments of the abdomen opaque, the stiles linear. Front femora with about a dozen outstanding flexor yellow hairs; middle femora with twenty-eight black setulae in each of the flexor series and with about six yellow bristles in front toward the knee and about a dozen longer yellow bristles in the posterior row; middle tibiae more than two-thirds the length of the femora. Calypteres, fringe and entire halteres pale yellow. Veins yellowish becoming slightly darker toward the tip, the second, third and fourth sections of the costa proportioned 7:6:1; third vein gently swinging back and ending a little beyond the tip of the wing, fourth vein quite strongly bowed, the first posterior cell widest at the middle where it occupies two-sevenths of the wing-width; cross-veins at two-fifths the wing-length, distance between the cross-veins two-thirds the length of the anterior cross-vein; base of anal vein very weak. Holotype.--Boston, Massachusetts, June, 1914 (Melander).
Classification
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Described from Boston, and listed only from the type locality in Stone's 1965 catalog
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Diptera, the group containing Platypalpus harpiger. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Diptera includes over 150,000 described species of flies, mosquitoes, and midges. Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on Earth (CDC). Malaria alone causes ~249 million cases and over 608,000 deaths annually, mostly children under 5 (WHO). Vector-borne diseases account for over 17% of all infectious diseases, causing 700,000+ deaths per year.
Ecological role of the group
Despite their disease impact, flies are critical decomposers and pollinators. Hoverflies alone pollinate hundreds of crop and wildflower species. Flies are also the primary food source for many birds, bats, and fish. Forensic entomology relies heavily on fly species for crime scene analysis.
Economic and practical significance of the group
In the U.S., vector-borne disease cases tripled between 2004-2016, with over 640,000 cases reported in that period (CDC). Tickborne diseases doubled from 22,000 to 48,000 annual reports. Globally, mosquito-borne diseases cost billions in healthcare and lost productivity.
Recorded sources for this group: WHO, CDC, PNAS. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Frequently Asked Questions About Platypalpus harpiger
What is Platypalpus harpiger?
Platypalpus harpiger is a species in the family Hybotidae, within the order Diptera.
How do you identify Platypalpus harpiger?
Original description: Platypalpus harpiger , sp. nov. [Female] -- Length 5 mm. Body black, head and thorax closely gray pollinose, legs including coxae entirely yellow, the tip of the long tibial spur alone black; base of abdominal segments with narrow interrupted pollinose fasciae; antennae yellow, the third joint short; cross-veins separated, the posterior oblique. Front and face with parallel sides, the ground-color of the face yellow; epistome pollinose; one pair each of ocellar and vertical bristles yellow; proboscis black; palpi large, securiform, pale yellow, with a few pre-apical white hairs; antennae entirely yellow, the outer joint triangular, twice as long as deep and two-thirds as long as the black, moderately thick arista. Pollinosity of mesonotum dense, the setulae of the acrostichal and dorso-central rows and the bristles yellow, four scutellar bristles, center of sternopleurae polished; last two segments of the abdomen opaque, the stiles linear. Front femora with about a dozen outstanding flexor yellow hairs; middle femora with twenty-eight black setulae in each of the flexor series and with about six yellow bristles in front toward the knee and about a dozen longer yellow bristles in the posterior row; middle tibiae more than two-thirds the length of the femora. Calypteres, fringe and entire halteres pale yellow. Veins yellowish becoming slightly darker toward the tip, the second, third and fourth sections of the costa proportioned 7:6:1; third vein gently swinging back and ending a little beyond the tip of the wing, fourth vein quite strongly bowed, the first posterior cell widest at the middle where it occupies two-sevenths of the wing-width; cross-veins at two-fifths the wing-length, distance between the cross-veins two-thirds the length of the anterior cross-vein; base of anal vein very weak. Holotype.--Boston, Massachusetts, June, 1914 (Melander).
Where is Platypalpus harpiger found?
Range: Described from Boston, and listed only from the type locality in Stone's 1965 catalog