''Eulonchus'' is a genus of small-headed flies in the family

Acroceridae The Acroceridae are a small family of odd-looking flies. They have a hump-backed appearance with a strikingly small head, generally with a long proboscis for accessing nectar. They are rare and not widely known. The most frequently applied common ...

. There are six described species in ''Eulonchus''. The genus is found in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. Adults have a metallic blue, green or sometimes purple coloration, giving them a jewel-like appearance. A common name for flies in the genus is the North American jewelled spider flies. Adults are also known as "sapphires" or "emeralds".

Species

These six species belong to the genus ''Eulonchus'': *'' Eulonchus halli'' Schlinger, 1960 (Hall's sapphire) *'' Eulonchus marginatus'' Osten-Sacken, 1877 (Sombre Sapphire or Emerald) *'' Eulonchus marialiciae'' Brimley, 1925 (Mary-Alice’s Emerald, Mary Alice's small-headed fly) *'' Eulonchus sapphirinus'' Osten Sacken, 1877 (Northern Sapphire or Emerald) *''

Eulonchus smaragdinus ''Eulonchus'' is a genus of small-headed flies in the family Acroceridae. There are six described species in ''Eulonchus''. The genus is found in North America. Adults have a metallic blue, green or sometimes purple coloration, giving them a jewel ...

'' Gerstaecker, 1856 (Synonym: ''E. smaragdinus pilosus'' Schlinger, 1960^{i c g}) (Southern Emerald or Sapphire) *'' Eulonchus tristis'' Loew, 1872 (Dusky Sapphire)

Distribution

Most species of ''Eulonchus'' are distributed west of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, northwards to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and southwards to

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. The exception is '' Eulonchus marialiciae'', which is known only from a small area in the

Great Smoky Mountains The Great Smoky Mountains (, ''Equa Dutsusdu Dodalv'') are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains and form part of the Blue Ridg ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, though future studies are needed to confirm the species' true range.

Hosts

Flies in the genus attack spiders in the families

Euctenizidae The Euctenizidae (formerly Cyrtaucheniidae subfamily Euctenizinae) are a family of mygalomorph spiders. They are now considered to be more closely related to Idiopidae. Etymology The name comes from the Greek prefix (''eu-''), meaning "valu ...

and

Antrodiaetidae Antrodiaetidae, also known as folding trapdoor spiders or folding-door spiders, is a small spider family related to atypical tarantulas. They are found almost exclusively in the western and midwestern United States, from California to Washington ...

Gallery

Clintonia uniflora 4918.JPG, ''Eulonchus sapphirinus''

References

External links