Rhagio albicornis

(Say, 1823)

Rhagio albicornis is a of in the , to the eastern Nearctic region. First described by Say in 1823, the species was taxonomically revised by Chillcott in 1965, who synonymized Rhagio boscii and Xylophagus fasciatus with this species. It belongs to a of predatory whose develop in soil or decaying matter. The species is part of a diverse eastern Nearctic fauna that includes several recently described species such as R. dichromaticus, R. floridensis, and R. orestes.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Rhagio albicornis: //ˈræɡioʊ ælˈbaɪkɔrnɪs//

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Identification

Rhagio albicornis can be distinguished from related eastern Nearctic Rhagio by characters established in Chillcott's 1965 revision. The species was previously confused with R. boscii and Xylophagus fasciatus, now synonymized with it. For precise identification, refer to Chillcott's to eastern species, which separates R. albicornis from similar species including R. hirtus, R. vertebratus, and the more recently described R. dichromaticus (extremely dark coloration), R. floridensis ( with distinctively patterned ), and R. orestes (darker thorax and compared to R. hirtus).

Distribution

Eastern Nearctic region. The 1965 revision by Chillcott presented new distribution records for this and other previously described in the , though specific locality details were not provided in the available abstract.

Similar Taxa

Rhagio hirtus LoewRecognized as a good in Chillcott's revision; similar enough to require separation in identification
Rhagio vertebratus SayR. intermedius Walker was synonymized with this in the same revision that clarified R. albicornis
Rhagio dichromaticus ChillcottDescribed in 1965 revision from Louisiana; distinguished by extremely dark coloration
Rhagio floridensis ChillcottDescribed in 1965 revision from Florida and Georgia; has and distinctively patterned
Rhagio orestes ChillcottDescribed in 1965 revision from Great Smoky Mountains National Park; close to R. hirtus but separable by darker and

More Details

Taxonomic History

The has undergone significant taxonomic clarification. Chillcott's 1965 revision in The Canadian established the current concept of R. albicornis by synonymizing two previously recognized species (R. boscii Macquart and Xylophagus fasciatus Say) with it. This revision was part of a broader treatment that also described three new species from the eastern Nearctic and recorded two European species (R. tringarius and R. lineola) for the first time in the region.

Genus Context

Rhagio is a of whose are generally found in damp soil rich in decaying debris or in rotting wood. Larvae are suspected to be predatory on other . snipe flies in this genus are typically found in moist woodlands and forest edges, often resting on foliage in the understory.