Bombyliinae

Heterostylum robustum, copyright iNaturalist.

Belongs within: Bombyliidae.
Contains: Bombylius.

The Bombyliinae are a group of mostly very hairy, broad-bodied bee flies. They may be divided between the Conophorini, with the discal medial cell of the wing broad towards the apex and possessing midtibial spurs, and the Bombyliini, with the discal medial cell broadest near the middle and the midtibial spurs absent (Greathead et al. 2009).

Characters (from Greathead et al. 2009): Antenna often thickened, scape usually shorter than flagellum; pronotum not distinct; body usually broad, usually densely hairy; wings normally broad, usually with well-developed alula and calypter; wing membrane without scales; female with well-developed sand-chamber guarded by dense long hairs; spermatheca with distinct terminal bulb.

<==Bombyliinae GEEL09
    |--Conophorini GEEL09
    |    |--Conophorus fenestratus H81
    |    `--Sparnopolius GEEL09
    |         |--S. confusus GEEL09
    |         `--S. lherminierii H81
    `--Bombyliini GEEL09
         |--Bombylius GEEL09
         |--Neodischistus GEEL09
         |    |--N. collaris GEEL09
         |    `--N. currani GEEL09
         `--Heterostylum GEEL09
              |--H. robustum GEEL09
              `--H. rufum GEEL09

Bombyliinae incertae sedis:
  Anastoechus barbatus KME08
  Aldrichia ehrmanii KME08
  Triploechus novum H81
  Geminaria H81
  Systoechus KME08
    |--S. albidus Loew 1860 R01
    |--S. candidulus KME08
    |--S. mixtus (Wiedem. 1821) [=Bombylius mixtus; incl. B. scuutellaris, B. scutellatus] R01
    |--S. nitidulus K01
    |--S. oreas RD77
    |--S. simplex Loew 1860 R01
    |--S. somali A71
    `--S. vulgaris KME08
  Staurostichus CM91
  Sisyromyia CM91
  Meomyia CM91

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[A71] Askew, R. R. 1971. Parasitic Insects. Heinemann Educational Books: London.

[CM91] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1991. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 717–786. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[GEEL09] Greathead, D. J., N. L. Evenhuis & C. J. Einicker Lamas. 2009. Bombyliidae (bee flies). In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley & M. A. Zumbado (eds) Manual of Central American Diptera vol. 1 pp. 565–576. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

[H81] Hall, J. C. 1981. Bombyliidae. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth & D. S. Wood (eds) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 1 pp. 589–602. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[K01] Kertész, K. 1901. Legyek [Dipteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 179–201. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[KME08] Kits, J. H., S. A. Marshall & N. L. Evenhuis. 2008. The bee flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae) of Ontario, with a key to the species of eastern Canada. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification 6: 1–52.

[R01] Ricardo, G. 1901. Notes on Diptera from South Africa (concluded). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 89–110.

[RD77] Richards, O. W., & R. G. Davies. 1977. Imms' General Textbook of Entomology 10^th ed. vol. 2. Classification and Biology. Chapman and Hall: London.

Last updated: 9 January 2021.