Stonemyia velutina

(Bigot, 1892)

velvety stonian horsefly, Volutine Stoneyian Tabanid Fly

Stonemyia velutina is a rare horsefly to California, first described in 1892. The was not observed between 1942 and 2023, leading to a premature declaration of extinction in 1996. Its 2023 rediscovery confirmed continued survival, though knowledge of its remains limited. The species belongs to the Tabanidae, a group of biting flies whose females typically require blood meals for development.

Stonemyia velutina by (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon. Used under a CC-BY license.

Stonemyia velutina by Chloe and Trevor Van Loon. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Stonemyia velutina: /stoʊˈnɛmɪə vɛˈluːtɪnə/

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

Identification

No specific diagnostic features distinguishing S. velutina from are documented in available sources. As with other Tabanidae, identification likely relies on wing venation patterns, coloration and banding, and abdominal patterning, but these characters are not specified for this .

Images

Habitat

Thought to possibly thrive in fire-disturbed chaparral, though this remains speculative. No confirmed associations have been published.

Distribution

to California, United States. Specific locality details beyond state-level occurrence are not documented.

More Details

Conservation History

The 81-year gap between observations (1942–2023) represents one of the longest periods of presumed extinction for a North American fly. The 1996 extinction declaration preceded rediscovery by 27 years, highlighting detection challenges for rare, localized insect .

Research Status

As of 2023, the remains poorly known. Post-rediscovery studies have not yet yielded published data on size, specific requirements, or threats.