2026/01/01 by Robert A. Cannings, Hugh MacIntosh · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Diptera species taxonomy and behavior #Fossil Insects in Amber #Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
paper · doi:10.4039/tce.2026.10049
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/04/02 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Abstract The Ospriocerus (Diptera: Asilidae) fauna of Canada is outlined. Only three species in the genus are known from Canada: Ospriocerus abdominalis (Say, 1824), O . latipennis (Loew, 1866), and O . vallensis Martin, 1968. The former two species inhabit grasslands on the Great Plains; the latter occurs in the Intermontane grasslands of southern British Columbia. The use of the name O . aeacus (Wiedemann, 1828), used frequently instead of O . abdominalis , should be discontinued because it is an unnecessary replacement name. Ospriocerus vallensis is recognised as a species in Canada for the first time; Canadian specimens have been misidentified in collections and the literature as O . abdominalis or O . aeacus . A key is given for the identification of Canadian specimens, and the species are morphologically diagnosed. Whole specimens, antennae, and dissected male genitalia are illustrated. The distributions, habitats, and some behaviours (including the relationship of the genus to the beetle family Meloidae) of the three species are documented.