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Muscidae USA 2012-VI-26
John Carr	#1 Posted on 01-07-2012 23:55
Member Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 1457 Joined: 22.10.10	Massachusetts, USA June 26, 2012. Camera flash caused it to sit back on its rear end. (Click to enlarge or view on Flickr.) (Click to enlarge.)


Stephen R	#2 Posted on 02-07-2012 10:40
Member Location: Clitheroe Lancashire UK Posts: 2374 Joined: 12.06.09	Looks like a Helina.


John Carr	#3 Posted on 11-11-2012 02:52
Member Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 1457 Joined: 22.10.10	Would you say there are "setulae adjacent to base of posterior notopleural bristle"? If I count bristles correctly there are, and none of the few North American Helina with such bristles looks like this. Edited by John Carr on 11-11-2012 03:08


Nikita Vikhrev	#4 Posted on 11-11-2012 08:34
Member Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 6733 Joined: 24.05.05	It seems to me Mydaea corni or near Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University


John Carr	#5 Posted on 11-11-2012 18:30
Member Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 1457 Joined: 22.10.10	It is happier in the key to Mydaea. It could be Mydaea neglecta, known from my area. That species is supposed to be close to electa. I don't know what we have here that is near corni. Quoting the revision of North American Mydaea: Mydaea neglecta Malloch Mydaea neglecta Malloch, 1920, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 46, p. 136. MALE: Length 7 to 8 mm. Very similar to electa Zetterstedt, of which it may ultimately prove to be a subspecies. It differs from it in having the legs yellow, only the coxae, tarsi, and basal half to three-fourths of fore femora infuscated. The anteroventral bristles on basal half of hind femora absent or setulose. Sternopleurals usually 2:2, occasionally with the lower anterior one very much reduced or absent. FEMALE: Length 7 to 8.5 mm. Similar to the male, differing from it in having the front at vertex one-fifth of head width. Second antennal segment slightly brownish to dark fulvous. The femora and tibiae entirely fulvous. Sternopleurals frequently 1:2 instead of 2:2.


Nikita Vikhrev	#6 Posted on 11-11-2012 19:07
Member Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 6733 Joined: 24.05.05	John, even with specimen in hand, the identification of Mydaea to species level - "it is without me". In my opinion the Palaerctic Mydaea badly need revision. So, I guess, need Nearctic Mydaea. What is more, Mydaea is cold resistant genus, Beringia land bridge was easily penetrable for Mydaea. Alas, Palaearctic and Nearctic Mydaea live "in the parallel Worlds", nobody has compare it properly yet. Nikita Vikhrev - Zool Museum of Moscow University


John Carr	#7 Posted on 12-11-2012 02:45
Member Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 1457 Joined: 22.10.10	Nearctic Mydaea were revised in 1949 and boreal North American Mydaea in 1965. But I suppose the task of revising the large genera of Muscidae on a worldwide basis is too frightening.