Leopoldius

Leopoldius coronatus, female (From Fliegen der Palaearktischen Region)
Leopoldius coronatus (from Kröber, 1925)

 

Introduction

Leopoldius are yellow on black Conopids, which are easily mistaken for a Conops on first sight. Their snout is short, however, and L. signatus appears in September when Conops is gone. Adults visit flowes. The key follows Kröber (1925).

Key
1.a. Snout distinctly shorter than the head, fleshy; antennae: 3rd segment bare -> 2

1.b. Snout about as long as the head, stiff by chitin; antennae: 3rd segment dorsally with small bristles; coxae black; frons browhish yellow. 10-14 mm. D. -> Leopoldius (Abrachyglossum) capitatum Loew

2.a. Frons partly or completely black; Female: at least coxa 1 yellow -> 3

2.b. Frons completely yellow. Front border of wing strongly blackened; all coxae black. 10-11 mm. D. -> Leopoldius calceatum Rondani

Jizz: abdomen strongly shining, with black hairs.

3.a. Frons with a broad yellow stripe from eye to eye, which is as yellow as the other yellow parts of the head, sharply bordered with the black parts. Only females can be identified. -> 4

3.b. Frons black, seldomly turning yellow centrally, but these parts much darker than the other yellow parts on the head. -> 6

4.a. Female: in ventral view, theca much smaller than width of 5th sternite -> 5

4.b. Female: in ventral view, theca as wide as the 5th sternite, wider than long, yellow. Male and female: Frons: yellow stripe smaller than black stripe, front border of black stripe straight. 12-13 mm. NL, B, D. -> Leopoldius coronatus Rondani

5.a. Female: theca at most as long as wide; anal segment not protruding. Males and females: Frons: yellow stripe as wide as black one, front border of black stripe with two yellow incisions. 12-14 mm. D. -> Leopoldius diadematum Rondani

5.b. Female: theca 1.5 times as long as wide; anal segment protruding (pointing further than theca). 12 mm. NL, D, central and southwest Europe -> Leopoldius valvatum Kröber

Note: Kröber notes that it completely looks like L. diadematum. Potentially, the coloration of the frons may be a characteristic. This has to be checked first.

6.a. Snout blackish; tergite 3 and 4: yellow bands without incisions, tergite 2: yellow band with one incision. Female: theca large and black. A colour form has large black patches on the side of the face, in front of the eyes. 10-12 mm. NL, B, D. -> Leopoldius brevirostris Germar

6.b. Snout yellowish; tergite 3 and 4: yellow bands with one (males) to three (females) incisions, tergite 2 with one incision. Female: theca hardly visible. 10-11 mm. NL, B, D. -> Leopoldius signatus Wied. in Meigen

Jizz: in late summer visiting flowering Hedera.


Leopoldius signatus, man, achterlijf
Leopoldius signatus, female, abdomen (from Kröber, 1925)

 

Kröber O. 1925. Conopidae. Fliegen der Palaearctischen Region. Stuttgart.
Stuke J-H., Saure C. and Pennards G. 2010. Leopoldius valvatus, een nieuwe blaaskopvlieg voor Nederland en Duitsland (Diptera: Conopidae). Nederlandse Faunistische MEdedelingen 33: 9-10. Leiden.

 

Last updated 15.2.2004