Stonemyia californica
(Bigot, 1892)
Stonemyia californica is a of horse fly in the Tabanidae, first described by Bigot in 1892. The species is distributed across western North America, with records from Canada, the United States, and Mexico. As a member of the Pangoniinae, it belongs to a group of flies characterized by elongated mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding rather than blood-feeding.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Stonemyia californica: //stoʊˈnɛ.mi.ə ˌkæl.ɪˈfɔr.nɪ.kə//
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Distribution
Canada, United States, and Mexico. Specific locality records are sparse in the provided sources.
More Details
Taxonomic Notes
Stonemyia californica is classified in the tribe Pangoniini within Pangoniinae. Members of this tribe are distinguished from other Tabanidae by their non-piercing mouthparts, which are adapted for lapping nectar rather than blood-feeding. The Stonemyia contains multiple North American , though species-level identification typically requires examination of morphological characters not detailed in available sources.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- Catalogue of Life
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