Key to New World genera of C oen osii ni and its close relatives
The body plan of Coenosia-like flies is actually convergently evolved, with some species in genera outside of Coenosiini having this body plan (predatory flies with a gray body with some small markings on the abdomen, legs with long setae, dichoptic in both sexes, etc). These are flies with the anepimeron bare (not Muscini, Stomoxyini, etc), body color not usually metallic, bare hind coxae, node of Rs and base of R4+5 bare above, vein M usually straight or only curved slightly forward, and at least one presutural dorsocentral bristle moderately strong, clearly distinguishable from surrounding setulae. This key was made to overcome accessibility issues, probably all New World genera of Coenosiini are covered here.
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Labella fleshy or reduced; prestomal teeth present or absent; first presutural dorsocentral bristle
more than half as long as second, but if absent, then labella fleshy, prestomal teeth absent and male
holoptic (aberrant Helina spp.); katepisternal bristles, if more than two in number, with lower or
lower posterior one always closer to upper posterior one than to upper anterior one; lower proepimeral
bristle curved dorsally; first postsutural supra-alar (prealar) present or absent; male frons varied in
width. Hind tibia usually without posterodorsal bristles or with at most two bristles; if three or more are present, they are restricted to basal half of tibia and are much shorter than anterodorsal bristles; legs sometimes partly yellow. Hind tibia with calcar absent, at most with one to two short bristles on basal half (NON-Coenosiini) ...........................................................................................................................................................2
Labella reduced; prestomal teeth developed; first presutural dorsocentral bristle absent or weak
and less than half as long as second and/or katepisternal bristles arranged in nearly equilateral
or isosceles triangle, with lower bristle almost equidistant from the two upper bristles
(rarely closer to anterior upper katepisternal bristle in Bithoracochaeta); lower proepimeral bristle
usually curved ventrally or anteroventrally; first postsutural supra-alar (prealar) bristle
absent; male frons at least one-fifth as wide as head (Coenosiini and close relatives such as Limnophorini)................................................................................................6 -
Katepimeron and prosternum setulose....................................................................................................Helina
Katepimeron bare; prosternum bare or setulose.....................................................................................3 -
Sternite 1 setulose; first postsutural supra-alar (prealar) bristle usually absent, but if
visible, then less than half as long as second notopleural; hind tibia with anterodorsal apical bristle
various..................................................................................................................................................................4
Sternite 1 bare; first postsutural supra-alar bristle present or absent; hind tibia with anterodorsal
apical bristle strong.............................................................................................................................................5 -
Sternite 1 with few strong setae near posterior margin; frons of male narrow, frontal
vitta obliterated on most of upper half of frons; hind tibia with anterodorsal apical bristle weak..Brontaea
Sternite 1 with fine setulae on most of its surface; frons of male wide, frontal vitta
distinct throughout; hind tibia with anterodorsal apical bristle strong..................................................Lispoides -
Arista pubescent, longest microtrichium no longer than basal diameter of arista; first postsutural
supra-alar (prealar) bristle absent; legs entirely black...............................................................................Spilogona
Either arista with longest microtrichium much longer than basal diameter of arista or first postsutural
supra-alar (prealar) bristle present or legs partly to entirely yellow.......................................................Helina -
Dorsocentral bristles 2+4; arista short, only slightly longer than first flagellomere; Nearctic, Bahamas, South America................................................................................................................................................Tetramerinx
Dorsocentral bristles 1-2+2-3; arista various.........................................................................................................7 -
Profrons projected................................................................. ............................................................................Noelia
Profrons not projected.................................................................................. ...............................................................8 -
Parafacial with a few fine hairs on upper third. Arista with longest hairs almost twice as long as width of first flagellomere. Apex of first flagellomere rounded. Frontal-orbital plate with 2 pairs of reclinate orbital setae. Labellum less reduced. Claws and pulvilli long, especially in the male. Fore tibiae with median anterior and posterior setae ...........................................................................................................................................Pentacricia (1 sp., aldrichii)
Parafacial bare. Arista with longest hairs at most as long as with of first flagellomere.................................9 -
Costa ending just beyond apex of vein R4+5...Coenosia/Allognota semivitta
Costa ending at apex of vein M....10 -
Two pairs of reclinate orbital setae present. Ocellar setae long. Apex of first flagellomere often pointed. Fore tibiae without medial setae. Hind tibia with at least one additional posterodorsal seta located above the medial one. Hind tibia also with a strong apical posteroventral seta. Tarsal claws and pulvilli small to medium-sized...................................................................................................................................................................Lispocephala/Caricea
Not as above..........................................................................11 -
One strong presutural dorsocentral seta, sometimes preceded by a second short seta. .................................................................................................................... ........................................................................12
Two strong presutural dorsocentral setae, more or less similar in length......................................................26 -
Postsutural dorsocentral setae 2...........................................................................................................................13
Postsutural dorsocentral setae 3...............................................................................................................................14 -
Basal scutellar seta shorter the apical pair; frons longer than wide; hind tibia with long median setae on anterodorsal, anteroventral, posterodorsal and sometimes posteroventral surfaces.......Bithoracochaeta
Basal scutellar seta as long as or longer than the apical pair; frons wider than long............Schoenomyzina -
Wing with anal lobe reduced............................................................................................................Cholomyioides
Wing with anal lobe normal..........................................................................................................................................15 -
Hind tibia with at least one anterodorsal supramedian seta in addition to the median seta...................16
Hind tibia without any anterodorsal supramedian seta in addition to the median setae ............................20 -
Hind tibia without any posterodorsal supramedian seta; frons wider than longer; antennal flagellomere short, never reaching epistoma, mid tibia with anteroventral seta.....................................................................................................................................Schoenomyza
Hind tibia with at least one posterodorsal supramedian seta; frons variable...............................................17 -
Apical scutellar setae short...........................................................................................................................Pilispina, in part
Apical scutellar setae strong........................................................................................................................................18 -
Arista bare; lower calypter may be twice as large as upper calypter..........................................Stomopogon
Arista not as above...........................................................................................................................................................19 -
Hind tibia with preapical setae on anterodorsal and dorsal surfaces ...................................................................................................................................................................Notoschoenomyza
Hind tibia with preapical setae on anterodorsal, dorsal and posterodorsal surfaces..........Spathipheromyia -
Katepisternal seta 0:1; disc of katepisternum with numerous setulae and hairs; lower proepimeral seta directed upwards, male: prealar seta present...............................................................................Drepanocnemis
Katepisternal setae 1:1:1; disc of katepisternum with few setulae or hairs; lower proepimeral seta directed downwards, male: prealar seta absent.......................................................................................................21 -
Calypteres similar in length. Antennae short, never reaching epistoma..................................................................................................................Schoenomyza
Lower calypter about twice as long as upper calypter.........................................................................................22 -
Arista with plumes only on basal two-thirds; hind tibia with one supramedian posterodorsal seta.....................................................................................................................................................................Plumispina
Arista with plumes along its entire length or only on basal two-thirds but usually with only very short hairs; hind tibia only rarely with a supramedian posterodorsal setae.................................................................23 -
Hind femur with 3 preapical setae, on anterodorsal, dorsal and posterodorsal to posterior surfaces...............................................................................................................................................................................24
Hind femur with 2 preapical setae, on anterodorsal and posterodorsal surfaces.........................................25 -
Antennal insertion well above mid-level of eye; one pair of postsutural intra-alar setae; lower calypter transverse......................................................................................................................................................Cordiluroides
Antennal insertion at mid-level of eye; two pairs of postsutural
intra-alar setae; lower calypter glossiform............................................................................Neodexiopsis, in part -
Gena greatly reduced, almost linear; female: ovipositor of medium length; tergites and sternites broad..................................................................................................................................................................Agenamyia
Gena of moderate width; female: ovipositor long; tergites and sternites long and
narrow.................................................................................................................................................Coenosia, in part -
Apical scutellar setae shorter than the basal setae.............................................................................Pilispina, in part
Apical scutellar setae as long as the basal setae....................................................................................................27 -
Fore tibia without setae at middle or on median third (posterior)........................28
Fore tibia with at least a median seta on posterior surface.....29 -
Arista with hairs restricted to basal half; lower calypter about 1.5 times as long as upper one............................................................................................................................................Insulamyia
Arista with hairs along entire length; both calypters small, subequal in size; legs blackish; hind tibiae with 1 seta on posterodorsal surface; katepisternum 1:1:1 but may be with additional anterior seta.........................................................................................................................................Rhabdotoptera (1 sp., striatipennis) -
Palpus rather enlarged apically; gena very deep; eyes reduced in size, with few setae around vibrissae.................................................................................................................................Apsil
Palpus slender; gena variable; eyes not or hardly reduced, with few or many setae
around vibrissae.....................................................................................................................30 -
Antennal flagellomere modified apically; mid tibia with 1 seta on median third of posterior surface; hind tibia without supramedian setae on anterodorsal surface and without setae on posterodorsal surface...................................................................................................Oxytonocera (1 sp., nigrohalterata)
Antennal flagellomere not modified apically.............................................................31 -
Arista short and enlarged basally; katepisternum 1:1 or 2:2; hind tibia with at least a median and sometimes also a supramedian seta on posterodorsal surface; claws and pulvilli small; male hypandrium not tubular; female ovipositor of moderate length with large tergites.................................................Pachyceramyia
Arista long and slender, or without the combination of above characters.......................................................32 -
Hind tibia with at least a median and sometimes also a supramedian seta on posterodorsal surface; katepisternal setae 1:1:1; antenna not reaching epistoma, arista long and slender. Palpi long. Tarsal claws and pulvilli long. Male: hypandrium tubular, very elongated; female: ovipositor long, with slender tergites; South America.................................................................................................Reynoldsia
Hind tibia at most only rarely with setae on posterodorsal surface............................................................................................................................................................................33 -
Legs blackish; mid tibia with 2 setae on median third of posterior surface; hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal setae...........................................................................................34
Fore and mid tibiae, and often most of legs, yellow; hind tibia usually with one anterodorsal seta..........35 -
Frontal vitta at level of anterior ocellus as wide in both sexes as distance between anterior pair of dorsocentral setae; ocellar triangle densely silvery pruinose in male and whitish pruinose in female, extending to anterior margin of frons.....................................................................................................Limnospila
Frontal vitta at level of anterior ocellus narrower in both sexes than distance between anterior pair of dorsocentral setae; ocellar triangle not silvery nor whitish pruinose, and not extending to anterior margin of frons; females may be with 2 pairs of reclinate orbital setae present, with the ovipositor medium in length..........................................................................................................................................................Pseudocoenosia -
Katepisternum with 4 setae, 3 of which are located at posterior edge of sclerite; mid tibia with 1 seta on median third of posterior surface; hind tibia supposedly without any supramedian setae on anterodorsal surface, but with a short seta on anteroventral surface.....................Macrorchis
Katepisternum with 3 setae; postsutural dorsocentral setae 3; hind tibia without any anterodorsal supramedian seta in addition to the median setae; disc of katepisternum with few setulae or hairs; lower calypter about twice as long as upper calypter; lower proepimeral seta directed downwards, male: prealar seta absent; arista with plumes along its entire length or only on basal two-thirds but usually with only very short hairs; hind tibia only rarely with a supramedian posterodorsal setae................................................................................................................................36 -
Hind femur with 3 preapical setae, on anterodorsal, dorsal and posterodorsal to posterior surfaces; antennal insertion at mid-level of eye; two pairs of postsutural intra-alar setae; lower calypter glossiform.......................................................................................................................................Neodexiopsis, in part
Hind femur with 2 preapical setae, on anterodorsal and posterodorsal surfaces; postsutural dorsocentral setae 3; gena of moderate width; female: ovipositor long; tergites and sternites long and narrow.....................................................................................................................................................Coenosia, in part