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I didn't expect to find such a nice fly in November. It was a warm day and the Sugar Maple tree was oozing sap. Several different fly families were represented, feeding on the sap.

When I looked at this fly, I thought, "It looks familiar. What West Virginia flies does this remind me of?" The answer: flies in Lauxaniidae, Drosophilidae, Scathophagidae, and Phoridae.

As I read up on the families, I eliminated Phoridae and Scathophagidae. I am leaning toward Drosophilidae. Can someone help me here?

The arista, by the way, seemed to be plumose but maybe not all the way to the tip.

Photo taken today, West Virginia USA, woodlands. Length, 6.3 mm from the front of the eyes to the rear of the abdomen.

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The face, a happy eater.

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At last, here is the dorsal view.

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Well, it`s for sure a heleomyzidae.
At home I will give it a closer look. I have some publications about american heleomyzinae.

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Suillia, unless the New World once again makes a fool of me ;)

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Ah yes, a fifth family this fly should have reminded me of. I have photographed some similar orange Heleomyzids over the last month or so but for some reason I did not think of that family when I saw this fly. Gentlemen, thank-you for your help with this one!

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Look like a male of Suillia loewi.
But I should compare it with a dried one.
Andrzej

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I find it always difficult to determine Suillia`s on a photo. Using Gill`s work from 1962 the specimen may be indeed the S. loewi, but I think it always better the have the fly under the microscope.

Gill`s key mentions 10 species of Suillia. Since the work is quite old, I guess it is possible there is an updated checklist. I am interested in such an updated list.

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Andrzej, Kahis, Ruud, Thanks very much for the good work on this ID!

I see that my usual reference for which species live in North America, nearctica.com, lists these Suilla species:

Suillia apicalis Loew 1862 (Helomyza)
Suillia barberi Darlington 1908 (Helomyza)
Suillia convergens Walker 1849 (Dryomyza)
Suillia longipennis Loew 1862 (Helomyza)
Suillia nemorum Meigen 1830 (Helomyza)
Suillia plumata Loew 1862 (Helomyza)
Suillia quinquepunctata Say 1823 (Helomyza)
Suillia sororcula Czerny 1926 (Suillia)

This website is the web version of the print publication Nomina Insecta Nearctica.

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Hi Stephen !,
Thanks a lot for your comments !
The number of Suillia species in the Nomina Nearctica is OK !.
few taxonomic works have been published after Gill (1962) and some species name were synonymized.
Andrzej
,

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Well, is the number of Suillia species really so small in North America or may we expect the discovery of many more new species there?

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Indeed, Andrzej, I see that S. loewi Garret, 1925 is not mentioned in the list. Do you have a correct, updatet list?
As well I noticed that the S. convergens Walker is not mentioned in Gill`s key.

cheers,

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Hi Ruud,
Sorry it is my fault !
S convergens= S. loewi (Gills Catalogue of Nearctic Diptera).
Cheers,B)
Andrzej

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Thank-you gentlemen for all your help with this nice fly. Can you clarify, since I am pretty new to all these nomenclature issues in Diptera: S. loewi is the correct name is S. convergens is a synonym?

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Yes, I think it is.

cheers

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S. convergens is an older name and has a priority.
Andrzej

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Hello, Mr. Beuk, is it possible to take messages back :(
I am so sorry, Mr. Andrzej, for not looking for the person, who described. Of course, you are right!

Ruud

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One more question, is it safe to say this is a male? I have read that the abdomen of the female in this family tapers toward the rear, while the abdomen of the male is more rounded at the end, slightly clubbed.

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No doubt - it's a male.:)

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Thanks, Tony!