Total of 245 species either found or highly expected to be found in New York.
Subfamily ERISTALINAE
Tribe Brachyopini This tribe contains 8 genera and 31 or likely more species found in New York State
+ Genera table Genusauthoritycommon name # in N.Y. Defining characteristicsBrachyopa Meigen, 1822 Sapeater Fly 8Face and scutellum tan to orange or yellow. Last section of R4+5 vein shorter than crossvein h.ChrysogasterMeigen, 1803 Wrinkleheaded Fly 1Last section of R4+5 longer than crossvein r-m. Face entirely black. Antennae on lower part of head.Chrysosyrphus Sedman, 1965 Wrinkleheaded Fly 1like Chrysogaster but antennae on upper part of head.HammerschmidtiaSchummel, 1834 Logsitter Fly 2 postalar callus, and scutellum with strong bristles. Hind tibia with short strong black spines.MyoleptaNewman, 1838 Pegleg Fly 3Front and middle femora with short strong spines near the apex.NeoasciaWilliston, 1886 Fen Fly 3 Small flies with petiolate abdomen, M1 forming a right angle with R4+5.Orthonevra Macquart, 1829 Mucksucker Fly 4 flagellum at least twice as long as wide. Eyes with horizontal or meandering lines.SpheginaMeigen, 1822 Pufftail Fly 9 Abdomen petiolate. Swollen hind femur with ventral spines.
Genus Brachyopa
Genus Chrysogaster Chrysogaster antitheus (Walker, 1849) The Short-haired Wrinklehead is a fairly common species.
Genus Chrysosyrphus Chrysosyrphus latus ( (Loew, 1863) The Variable Wrinklehead is a rare species
Genus Hammerschmidtia Hammerschmidtia is a Holarctic Genus of hoverflies. The larvae are found in sap under the bark of downed trees. They appear quite unlike other syrphids, having drab colors and numerous bristles but on closer inspection they do have the general indicators of syrphids in a spurious vein. Hammerschmidtia rufa, The Black-bristled Logsitter is an uncommon species. Hammerschmidtia sedmani Pale-bristled Logsitter is a rare species in N.Y.
Genus Myolepta Three species of Myolepta occur in New York. Keys and descriptions of this species was made by Fluke and Weems in 1956. Larvae are described by Rotheray
Myolepta strigilata M. nigra M. varipes
Genus Neoascia Neoascia (Williston, 1886) Fen Flies These are very small (3.5–5 mm) black and yellow or metallic green flies with a narrow abdomen near the thorax. They occur mainly in damp places around plants. . Neoascia larvae have been recovered from wet manure in farmyards, and decaying vegetation at the edges of ponds. In 1925 Curran reviewed the Genus Neoascia
Neoascia metallica (Williston, 1882 ) The Double-banded Fen Fly, is a common species. Neoascia tenur (Harris, 1780) The Black-kneed Fen Fly is a common species that was formerly considered to be only European now considered to be throughout North America and Canada. Neoascia globosa (Walker, 1849) The Black-margined Fen Fly is a fairly common species.
Genus Orthonevra
Four species Orthonevra (Macquart, 1829) of these small dark metallic flies are found in New York. Sedman divided this genus into two groups, the pictipennis group of which N.Y. has O. pictipennis, O. Weemsi and O. pulchella and the Bellula group with O. nitida being found in N.Y. This genus is one of the few where the eyes are ornamented with either horizontal medial lines or meandering lines across the eye. Keys and descriptions have been provided by Sedman. Orthonevra nitida (Wiedemann, 1830) The Wavy mucksucker is a fairly common species.
Orthonevra pictipennis (Loew, 1863) Dusky-veined Mucksucker is an uncommon species. Orthonevra pulchella (Williston, 1887) The Dusky Mucksucker is a fairly common species. Orthonevra weemsi (Sedman, 1966) Weems' Mucksucker is a rare species.
Genus Sphegina
These are distinctive small flies with a thin elongate abdomen and enlarged hind femur often with spines and or teeth. The larvae are found under bark in water soaked areas. Rotheray has described European species and habitats as well as a key to larvae including sphegina and other syrphid genera. Keys to adult American species was provided by Coovert. New York species can also be found southward especially in the Appalachian Mountains and also north to the New England States. There are various keys online, Covert 1977 Hull, 1935 and Malloch, 1922
:{|class="wikitable" |-! name !! authority !! common name!!prevalence |+ Sphegina (Meigen, 1822) |- |Sphegina brachygaster || Hull, 1935 || Thick-waisted Pufftail || fairly common |- | Sphegina campanulata || Robertson, 1901 ||Orange-horned Pufftail || fairly common |- |Sphegina flavimana || John Russell Malloch, 1922 || Tuberculate Pufftail || fairly common |- |Sphegina flavomaculata|| John Russell Malloch, 1922 || Tooth-legged Pufftail|| uncommon |- |Sphegina keeniana|| Williston, 1887 || Peg-legged pufftail || fairly common |- |Sphegina lobata || Loew, 1863 ||Yellow-lobed Pufftail || uncommon |- |Sphegina lobulifera || John Russell Malloch, 1922 || Black-lobed Pufftail || uncommon |- |Sphegina petiolata|| Coquillett, 1910 || Long-spined Pufftail || uncommon |- |Sphegina rufiventris|| Loew, 1910 || Black-horned pufftail || common
Tribe Callicerini Genus Callicera Only one species of this tribe is found in New york in the genus Callicera (Panzer, 1809).
Callicera erratica (Walker, 1849) The Golden Pine Fly is a rare species.
Tribe Cerioidini
Genus Ceriana Ceriana(Rafinesque, 1815) has but one species in New York. Ceriana abbreviata (Loew, 1864) The Northern Wasp Fly
Genus Sphiximorpha Sphiximorpha (Rondani, 1850) is represented by a single rare species in New York. Sphiximorpha willistoni (Kahl, 1897) Williston's Wasp Fly is a rare species.
Tribe Eristalini
Subtribe Eristalina
Genus Eristalinus
Eristalinus aeneus (Scopoli, 1763) The Common Lagoon Fly is fairly common.
Genus Eristalis
New York has an prevalence of Eristalids many of which are striking in color and exhibit mimicry to the bees. The larvae are of the rat-tailed type. Eristalis along with many sister species has the r4+5 vein making a distinct loop towards the rear of the wing.
Species list
Genus Palpada
Palpada albifrons (Weidemann 1830) The White-faced Plushback is a rare vagrant Palpada vinetorum (Fabricius 1799) The Northern Plushback is a fairly common species
Subtribe Helophilina
Genus Thorax Abdomen Hind tibia Other+ Helophilina characteristics Notes This table is confined to New York species. Helophilus, key Longitudinal stripesAbdomen oval, with large orange markings variable Stigma longAnasimia, key ( as Lejops) Longitudinal stripes narrow variable Polydontomyia, single species not striped slightly narrowed, black with solid yellow-orange behind, all brownish gray in femalearcuate and produced into a long apical spur Mallota, key not striped, Thick pile compact and thick pile without long apical spur bumblebee mimicParhelophilus, Key longitudinal stripes compact truncate at apex. stigma short Eurimyia, single species longitudinal stripes sawtooth yellow spots without long apical spur, two black rings face produced into an elongate cone
Genus Eurimyia Eurimyia stipata the Long-nosed Swamp Fly.
Genus Helophilus
Genus Anasimyia
Genus Polydontomyia Polydontomyia curvipes (Weidemann, 1830) The Dimorphic Sickleleg is locally common along salt marshes.
Genus Mallota Large flies that strongly resemble bumblebees. The larvae of, M. cimhiciformis (Fallen) and M. posticata (Fabricius) develop in detritus-containing rot pockets, usually wet tree holes in upright deciduous trees.
Mallota cimbiciformis, (Fallén, 1816) Mallota bautias Walker 1849 The Bare-eyed Mimic is a common species Mallota posticata, Fabricius 1805,? The Hairy-eyed Mimic is a common species.
Genus Parhelophilus
Tribe Sericomyiini This tribe has only one genus
Genus Sericomyia
Sericomyia chrysotoxoides (Macquart 1842) The Oblique-banded Pond Fly is a common species. Sericomyia lata (Coquillett 1907) The White-spotted Pond Fly is a common species. Sericomyia militaria (Walker, 1849) The Narrow-banded Pond Fly is a common species. Sericomyia transversa (Osburn, 1926) The Yellow-spotted Pond Fly is an uncommon species.
Tribe Eumerini
Genus Eumerus Eumerus funeralis (Meigen, 1822) Lesser Bulb Fly is a fairly common species. Eumerus strigatus (Fallén, 1817) Onion Bulb Fly is a fairly common species.
Genus Merodon Merodon equestris (Fabricius, 1794) The Narcissus Bulb Fly is a fairly common species.
Tribe Milesiini This tribe contains 17 genera with 56 species found in New York + Genera table nameauthoritycommon name # in N.Y. Defining characteristicsBlera Billberg, 1820 Wood Fly 7 distinct frontal prominence, face downward and forwardBrachypalpus Macquart, 1834 Catkin Fly 1 triangular face, thorax with thick yellow pileChalcosyrphus Curran, 1925 Leafwalker10 slender abdomen, enlarged hind femur, often orange legs.CriorhinaMeigen, 1822 Bumblefly 2 large bumblebee mimics.CynorhinellaCurran, 1922 Longnose Fly1 small thin black fly with large conical face.HadromyiaWilliston, 1882Quicksilver Fly1 black fly metallic patches on abdomenLejotaWahlberg, 1843 Trunksitter Fly 2 all black fly with distinct frontal prominence and straight face.Milesia Latreille, 1804 Giant Flower Flies 1 large yellow and black yellowjacket mimicPterallastes Loew, 1863 Goldenback Fly 1 large fly with bright golden thorax. .Somula Macquart, 1847 Wood Fly 1 large fly with distinct antennifer and bright yellow abdominal spots.Sphecomyia Latreille, 1829Yellowjacket Fly1long antennae black and yellow striped abdomen.Spilomyia Meigen, 1803Hornet Fly 4 vertical eye stripe, yellow and black thorax and abdomen.Syritta Linnaeus, 1758 Compost Fly 1 inflated hind femur with orange spots, abdomen with rounded spotsTemnostoma Le Peletier & Serville Falsehorn Fly 7 yellow stripe along transverse suture, abdomen with one or two stripes on each segment.Teuchocnemis Osten Sacken, 1876 Spur Fly 2 males with large spur on hind tibiaTropidiaMeigen, 1822Thickleg Fly 3 hind femur enlarged with triangular shaped process ventrallyXylota Meigen, 1822 Leafwalker 11 slender abdomen, enlarged hind femur, abdomen black or with yellow spots.
Genus Blera
Genus Brachypalpus Brachypalpus oarus (Walker, 1849) The Eastern Catkin Fly is a fairly common species.
Genus Chalcosyrphus
Genus Criorhina Criorhina verbosa (Walker, 1849) The Hairy-cheeked Bumble Fly is an uncommon species. Criorhina nigriventris (Walton, 1911) The Bare-cheeked Bumble Fly is an uncommon species.
Genus Cynorhinella Cynorhinella (Curran, 1922) is a rare genus in New York with a single species. Cynorhinella longinasus (Shannon, 1924) The Eastern Longnose Fly is a rare species.
Genus Hadromyia Hadromyia (Williston, 1882) a single species in New York Hadromyia aepalius (Walker, 1849) Sterling Quicksilver Fly is a rare species.
Genus Lejota Lejota (Róndani, 1857) has two uncommon species in New York. Lejota aerea (Loew 1872) The Golden Trunksitter is an uncommon species Lejota cyanea (Smith 1912) The Cobalt Trunksitter is an uncommon species.
Genus Milesia Milesia (Latreille, 1804) represented by a single, vivid species. Milesia virginiensis (Drury, 1773) The Virginia Giant is an uncommon species.
Genus Pterallastes Pterallastes (Loew, 1863) Pterallastes thoracicus (Loew 1863) The Goldenback Fly is an uncommon species.
Genus Somula Somula (Macquart, 1847) has only two species worldwide, with one in New York. Somula decora (Macquart, 1847) The Spotted Wood Fly is an uncommon species.
Genus Sphecomyia Sphecomyia Latreille, 1829 is a genus of wasp mimics with one species found in New York. Sphecomyia vittata (Wiedemann, 1830) The Long-horned Yellowjacket is an uncommon species.
Genus Spilomyia Many species in Spilomyia are wasp mimics with black and yellow patterns and using the black front legs to imitate the wasp antennae. The eyes on Spilomyia species are a distinctive characteristic which usually display vertical, and irregular stripes or blotches.