Key to the Mallophora of the United States
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Abdomen entirely black......................................................................................................................2
Abdomen entirely yellow/white or some combination of yellow/white and black......................................3 -
Hairs of scutellum black, beard yellow................................................................Mallophora atra
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/16615108
Hairs of scutellum yellow, beard black........................................................Mallophora leschnaulti
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/8198405 -
Abdomen entirely yellow....................................................................................Mallophora fautrix
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/1826585
Abdomen black and yellow/white................................................................................................................4 -
Abdomen mostly yellow but with black tip; body coloration overall dark yellow...................................................Mallophora orcina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/811603
Abdomen mostly white but with black middle; body coloration overall whitish...................................Mallophora bomboides
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/8508244
Comments
This is a very basic key, only looking at one character (color/pattern of abdominal setae) but it seems to work consistently.
Excellent! This will definitely be used and referenced. :)
@gcwarbler @pfau_tarleton @kimberlietx @tadamcochran
This will be a very useful tool.
Awesome. Thank you!
Great! Bookmarking it. And thanks for ID'ing all of our Robber Flies, Chris!
I wish there was a way to add journal posts to "favorites"...or is there?
@pfau_tarleton
The best you can do is "Subscribe" near the bottom of the page. The second best you can do is to leave a comment.
More seriously, I also feel a need to "collect" journal posts like one could "collect" favourites.
Updated the key to include a species newly added to iNat, Mallophora atra. The scutellum, if you're not familiar, is the posterior section of the thorax (see #12 http://geller-grimm.de/morph/morph04.htm)
Excellent
Thank you Chris for this easy key. Also, thank you so much for providing resources related to Mallphora fautrix.
I've started posting these helpful guides on my Profile page...I always seem to loose them otherwise
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