Dactylomyia lateralis
(Say, 1829)
Dactylomyia lateralis is a of long-legged fly in the Dolichopodidae, Neurigoninae. First described by Thomas Say in 1829, this species belongs to a of small predatory flies characterized by their elongated legs and typically metallic coloration. The species has been recorded in North America with over 340 observations documented on iNaturalist.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Dactylomyia lateralis: //ˌdæk.tɪ.loʊˈmaɪ.jə ləˈtɛr.ə.lɪs//
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Distribution
North America. Documented observations span multiple regions with 344 records on iNaturalist as of the data cutoff.
More Details
Taxonomic History
Originally described by Thomas Say in 1829, this has maintained stable taxonomic placement within the Dactylomyia. The genus belongs to the tribe Dactylomyiini within the Neurigoninae of Dolichopodidae.
Data Availability
Despite being a relatively well-documented in terms of occurrence records, detailed biological information including , , and appears sparse in the accessible literature. The high number of citizen science observations (344 on iNaturalist) suggests the species is encountered frequently enough by naturalists, yet formal descriptive studies remain limited.