Key to Laphria Meigen s. str. from Western North America North of Mexico

by S. W. Bullington


Couplet 1

    Thorax mostly black haired; abdominal segments 2-6 with thick-set,
    appressed straw-yellow hair, on segments 4-6 this yellow hair
    sharply demarcated from lateral black hairs; mystax entirely black
    in female. . . . .
semitecta (Coquillett)
    Thorax always with preponderance of yellow and/or red (usually
    yellow) hairs on mesonotum, especially on posterior portion;
    abdominal segments variable, but never as described above; mystax
    in female mostly yellow. . . . .

Couplet 2

    Thoracic mesonotum with a band of red hair across posterior margin;
    scutellum with red hair . . . . .
insignis (Banks)
    Thoracic mesonotum with yellow hairs; scutellar hairs yellow or
    black, never red. . . . .

Couplet 3

    Abdominal tergite 6 black-haired in both sexes. . . . .
posticata posticata Say
    Abdominal tergite 6 with yellow hairs in both sexes. . . . .

Couplet 4

    Yellow hairs on posterior portion of mesonotum longer and more
    thickly set than on anterior portion, giving dorsum of thorax a
    definite "two-tone" look . . . . .
Go to Couplet 5
    Yellow hairs on mesonotum uniformly distributed . . . . .

Couplet 5

    Abdomen of male with most light hairs yellow, a few however forming
    indistinct patches of washed-out red; first 3 abdominal tergites
    black dorsally in female, contrasting sharply with the predominant
    yellow on the more apical segments . . . . .
columbica Walker and partitor (Banks)
    Abdomen of male and female with extensive red hairs; contrast in
    female between black and lighter portions of abdomen not marked . . . . .

Couplet 6 (4)

    Scutellar hairs yellow; mystax entirely yellow except possibly for a
    few black hairs in lower third; palpal hairs yellow . . . . .
unicolor (Williston)
    Scutellar hairs black; mystax with lower third entirely black; some
    or all of palpal hairs black . . . . .

Couplet 7

    First three and usually four abdominal tergites mostly or entirely
    black haired, especially dorsally . . . . .
Go to Couplet 8
    Abdominal segments 2-4 with extensive yellow and/or red hairs . . . . .

Couplet 8

    Tuft of hair in front of wings and tuft in front of halteres yellow;
    tibiae yellow haired . . . . .
astur Osten Sacken
    Tuft of hairs in front of wings black, tuft in front of halteres
    mostly or entirely black; tibiae black haired . . . . .

Couplet 9 (7)

    Both sexes with yellow hairs on upper surface of posterior tibiae
    extending to only slightly over half distance from base, forming
    sharp contrast to black hairs on apical portion; hairs at sides of
    first abdominal segment mostly black; red hairs at sides and
    sometimes in middle of abdominal tergites 2-5 . . . . .
engelhardti (Bromley)
    Both sexes with yellow hairs on upper surface of posterior tibiae
    extending entirely to apex; hairs at sides of first abdominal
    segment mostly yellow; red hairs at sides of abdominal tergite 3,
    on most of 4, and in some specimens on middle of 5 . . . . .

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