Dasypogoninae
Blepharepiini
Blepharepium
Dasypogonini
Lestomyia
Parataracticus
Saropogon
Taracticus
Isopogonini
Comantella
Cophura
Hodophylax
Nicocles *
Omninablautus
Lastaurini
Diogmites

Nearctic species:

1. Nicocles abdominalis Williston, 1883
2. Nicocles aemulator (Loew, 1872)
3. Nicocles argentatus Coquillett, 1893
4. Nicocles bromleyi Hardy, 1943
5. Nicocles canadensis Curran, 1923
6. Nicocles dives (Loew, 1866)
7. Nicocles engelhardti Wilcox, 1946
8. Nicocles lomae Cole, 1916
9. Nicocles pictus (Loew, 1866)
10. Nicocles politus (Say, 1823)
11. Nicocles pollinosus Wilcox, 1946
12. Nicocles reinhardi Bromley, 1934
13. Nicocles rufus Williston, 1883
14. Nicocles utahensis Banks, 1920

 
 
 
 

- female -

 

	Eastern and Southern species.
	Western species.

	At least apical two-tirds of wing dusky, at most with clear spots in marginal cell.
	Dark portion of wings in form of clouds along veins, the cells more or less hyaline.

	Femora black except very narrowly at apex. Basal third of the wings largely hyaline. Knob of halteres brown. Length 8-10 mm . . . . . Nicocles politus (Say, 1823) (= Pygostolus argentifer Loew, 1866) [PA, MD, NY, MA, RI, CT, NJ, DE, WV, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL]
	Hind femora red. Wings wholly smoky, slightly lighter on the apical third. Knob of halteres yellow. Length 7-9 mm . . . . . Nicocles engelhardti Wilcox, 1946 [SC, NC, FL]

	Femora entirely red. Style of antenna about one-fourth the length of postpedicel. Abdomen only pollinose laterally except on fifth segment. Length 10 mm . . . . . Nicocles pictus (Loew, 1866) (= Dasypogon amastris Walker, 1849) [DC, NY, MA, RI, CT, PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA, WV, KY, TN, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC]
	Apical third of middle and apical half of fore femora black. Style one-half length of postpedicel. Abdomen wholly thinly pollinode. length 9 mm . . . . . Nicocles reinhardi Bromley, 1934 [TX]

	Abdomen in ground color largely red.
	Abdomen in ground color largely black.

	Body and legs wholly red, the proboscis, lower part of katepisternum, and a transverse spot at base of second abdominal segment black. Disc of scutellum with very short, inconspicuous hair. Length 10-11 mm . . . . . Nicocles rufus Williston, 1883 [WA, OR, CA, BCA]
	Head and thorax largely black. Scutellum with conspicuous hair.

	Abdomen, except base of second segment, yellowish red. Posterior cells 3-5 of the wings largely clouded. male fifth abdominal segment not more than twice as long. Length 11 mm . . . . . Nicocles lomae Cole, 1916 [CA]
	First two abdominal segments black. Posterior cells 3-5 largely hyaline. Male fifth abdominal segment about four times broader than long. length 11-14 mm . . . . . Nicocles abdominalis Williston, 1883 [CA, UT?]

	Only the sixth male abdominal segment wholly silvery, the fifth segment sometimes partly silvery or pollinose.
	Fifth and sixth male abdominal segment wholly silvery.

	Fifth male abdominal segment bare of pollen except along lateral margins, twice as broad as long. Fourth posterior cell largely hyaline (compare with female dives Loew). Length 8-11 mm . . . . . Nicocles canadensis Curran, 1923 [BCA, WA, OR, CA]
	Fifth male abdominal segment with a complete anterior pollinose band.

	Pollinose band on the fifth male abdominal segment concave, segments 2-4 pollinose only on lateral margins. Wings with small brown spots along veins, crossveins, and furcations. Length 12-13 mm . . . . . Nicocles utahensis Banks, 1920 (= N. punctipennis Melander, 1923) [UT, WA, ID, MT, OR, CA, NV, UT, AZ, ALB, BCA]
	Segments 2-5 of male abdominen with complete parallel anterior transverse pollonose bands. Wings more exensively infuscated. Length 11 mm . . . . . Nicocles pollinosus Wilcox, 1946 [MT, CA, BCA]

	Length 7-7.5 mm. Wings fumose except at tip. Fifth male abdominal segment about 4 times as wide as long . . . . . Nicocles bromleyi Hardy, 1943 [AZ, MEX]
	Length 8-13 mm. Other combination of characters.

	Posterior cells 2-5, except narrowly basally, hyaline. Hind tibiae and tarsomeres of males densely silvery on inner side. Female abdomen almost wholly pollinose. Length 8-10 mm . . . . . Nicocles argentatus Coquillett, 1893 [CA]
	Posterior cells 2-5 largely villous. Male hind tibiae not silvery.

	Male fifth abdominal segment twice as wide as long. Female abdominal segments 2-4 with interrupted anterior bands, segment 5 largely, and segments 6-7 wholly, pollinose. Length 9-13 mm . . . . . Nicocles aemulator (Loew, 1872) [CA]
	Male fifth abdominal segment nearly three times as wide as long. Female abdomen with only sides of segments, and segment 5 with laerger lateral triangular spots, pollinose. Length 8-13 mm . . . . . Nicocles dives (Loew, 1866) [CA, WA, OR, NV, BCA]

Contents: © Fritz Geller-Grimm, Jorge N. Artigas, 2007
Layout & images: © Fritz Geller-Grimm, 2007