Conopidae Genera key - Northwest Europe

1.a. Arista implanted on top of the 3rd antennal segment -> 2

1.b. Arista implanted on the side of the 3rd antennal segment -> 6

Antennae of, first, Leopoldius with arista implanted on top and, second, Dalmannia, with arista on side.

2.a. snout short, just surpassing mouth edge -> Leopoldius

2.b. snout long -> 3

Head of Leopoldius with short snout.

3.a. Snout about as long as width of head, in side view reaching front part of face -> 4

3.b. Snout distinctly longer than width of head, in side view surpassing front part of face -> 5

4.a. Thorax partly or completely reddish -> Conops (vesicularis)

4.b. Thorax black with yellow markings -> Leopoldius (capitatus)

5.a. Abdomen petiolate, the smallest point at the border of the 2nd and 3rd abdominal segment; cross vein at the basis of cell R connects to the underlying cell at twothirds of its length -> Physocephala

5.b. Abdomen gradually widening from base to top or about linear; cross vein at the basis of cell R connects to the underlying cell at alf its length -> Conops

Wings of Physocephala (first) and Conops (last).

6.a. Anal cell short, as long as the cell above it -> 7

6.b. Anal cell long -> 8

Wings of Dalmannia (first) and Myopa (last): Dalmannia has a short anal cel (a).

7.a. Female with a long, pointed ovipostor, male with a threadlike appendix to the genitalia -> Dalmannia

7.b. Female with a hardly visible theca, without ovipostor, male without threadlike appendix to genitalia -> Myopa (morio)

Abdomen of Dalmannia, left male, right female.

8.a. Snout bent once at its base; Cell R closed -> Zodion

8.b. Snout bent twice, at its base and halfway; cell R open -> 9

Heads of Zodion, snout bent once and Myopa, snout bent twice.

9.a. Head in side view: part under eyes at most half as long as the length of the eyes -> 10

9.b. Head in side view: part under eyes as long as or longer than the length of the eye (in M. occulta it is a fraction shorter than the length of an eye, but its snout is very short)-> 11

Head of Myopa, with face extending wide below eyes.

10.a. Black to grey flies; 3-8 mm -> Thecophora

10.b. Brown flies; 8-10 mm -> Sicus

11.a. Abdomen shorter than wings, dorsoventally flattened; arista thick, clearly two segmented -> Myopa

11.b. Abdomen as long as or longer than wings, round; arista fine, hardly segmented -> Melanosoma