Palpada Explained

Palpada is a genus of 85 neotropical and nearctic flower flies or hoverflies^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} This genus is often colorful and bee-like. It is in the tribe Eristaliini containing dozens of genera ^[5] Common sister genera include Eristalis (99 species), Meromacrus (43 sp.), Eristalinus (100 sp.) and Helophilus (50 sp.).The genus palpada is distinguished by:

• Eyes with uniform pile.
• Meron with fine pale hairs in front of or below spiracle.
• Hind femur with basal patch of dense black setulae.
• Cell r₂₊₃ closed before wing margin.
• R₄₊₅ moderately to strongly dipped into cell r₄₊₅.^[1]

The larvae are aquatic and have a distinctive shape, usually being referred to as rat-tailed. The rat-tail is a breathng tube that allows the larvae to live in low oxygen water.

External links

• Genus Palpada on BugGuide

Notes and References

1. Thompson . F. Christian . 2003 . Austalis, a new genus of flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) with revisionary notes on related genera . Zootaxa . 246 . 1–19 . Magnolia Press . New Zealand . 10.11646/zootaxa.246.1.1 . 1175-5334 . pdf Adobe/Acobat . 2011-01-28.
2. Web site: F. C. . Thompson . Vockeroth, J. R. . Sedman, Y. S. . A Catalogue of the Americas South of the United States: Family Syrphidae . Museu de Zoologia . São Paulo, Brasil . 2 February 2011.

3. 2009: Cladistic analysis and taxonomic revision of the scutellaris group of Palpada Macquart (Diptera: Syrphidae). Invertebrate systematics, 23: 301–347.

4. X. . Mengual . Thompson, F. C. . A taxonomic review of the Palpada ruficeps species group, with the description of a new flower fly from Colombia (Diptera: Syrphidae) . Zootaxa . 2008 . 1741 . 31–36 . Magnolia Press . New Zealand . 10.11646/zootaxa.1741.1.3 . 10045/12251 . 22 December 2011. free .
5. Thompson . F. Christian . 2003 . Austalis, a new genus of flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) with revisionary notes on related genera . Zootaxa . 246 . 1–19 . Magnolia Press . New Zealand . 10.11646/zootaxa.246.1.1 . 1175-5334 . pdf Adobe/Acobat . 2011-01-28.