Microdon ruficrus
Williston, 1887
spiny-shield ant fly
An uncommon syrphid fly of the eastern United States and adjacent Canada. are metallic greenish or bluish black with distinctive cupreous thoracic stripes and a spiny scutellum. Larvae develop within nests of the Lasius americanus. The is one of approximately 6,200 described syrphid flies worldwide.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Microdon ruficrus: //ˈmaɪ.kroʊˌdɒn ˈruː.fɪ.krʌs//
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Identification
Distinguished from by the greenish-bronze (not steel blue) facial reflections, the presence of spines on the scutellum, and the three broad cupreous thoracic stripes. Males have a deeply depressed transverse groove on the front and a widest below; females have a scarcely narrowed front and nearly obsolete facial depressions with wider pollen bands. The scutellar spines are bare and situated on small . Wing venation includes a short stump of r4+5 arising about the middle of the first and a spurious vein ending just behind its tip.
Images
Distribution
Eastern United States and adjacent Canada. Specific state/province records are sparse due to the ' uncommon status.
Host Associations
- Lasius americanus - larval Larvae have been found in nests of this ; previously recorded under the synonym Lasius alienus
Similar Taxa
- Microdon piperiSimilar metallic coloration, but M. ruficrus has greenish-bronze (not steel blue) facial reflections and distinctive scutellar spines