Dolichopus plumipes

Scopoli, 1763

Dolichopus plumipes is a long-legged fly in the Dolichopodidae, characterized by modified male mid tibiae bearing a longitudinal narrow dark streak. The belongs to the D. plumipes species group, which comprises eleven Palaearctic species distinguished by modified male mid tibiae and/or mid basitarsi. It is a predatory fly active in sunny .

Dolichopus plumipes by

This image is created by user Dick Belgers at Waarneming.nl, a source of nature observations in the Netherlands.
. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Dolichopus plumipes male, Deeside, North Wales, July 2011 (16894840102) by Janet Graham. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Dolichopus plumipes female, Hells Mouth, North Wales, July 2013 - Flickr - janetgraham84 by Janet Graham. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Dolichopus plumipes: /ˌdɒlɪˈkoʊpəs ˈpluːmɪpiːz/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Males are distinguished from other Dolichopus by the thin mid tibia with a longitudinal narrow dark streak. The mid basitarsus is pennate or bears elongate setae. These modified leg structures are used in . Species-level identification generally requires examination of male genitalia.

Images

Habitat

Found in sunny, open including forest edges and gardens. As a member of Dolichopodidae, it likely frequents vegetation surfaces where it hunts small prey.

Distribution

Palaearctic Region, including most of northern Europe and Asia. Records confirm presence in Belgium, Denmark, and Iran. Not recorded from the eastern United States or Manitoba, Canada.

Diet

are predatory on other small insects. Larval diet unknown, though dolichopodid larvae are generally predatory.

Behavior

Males perform complex courtship dances using ornamented front to display to females. are agile, fast-moving, and rarely stop moving when active.

Similar Taxa

Other Dolichopus speciesDistinguished by the specific pattern of male mid tibial modification; D. plumipes has a thin mid tibia with longitudinal narrow dark streak rather than clear whitish yellow area or simple/unmodified structure found in related .
Condylostylus speciesCommon garden dolichopodids with bright metallic coloration, but belong to different with different body proportions and lack the specific male leg modifications of Dolichopus.

More Details

Taxonomic Note

Authorship has been cited as both Scopoli, 1763 and Fallén, 1823 in different sources; Scopoli, 1763 appears to be the original combination as Musca plumipes.

Species Group Affiliation

Member of the Dolichopus plumipes group, redefined in 2014 to include eleven Palaearctic species characterized by modified male mid legs.