''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 North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. 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 The House von der Osten-Sacken is an old and distinguished noble family of Baltic Germans. The family members held the titles of ''Baron'', ''Graf'', ''Knyaz'' and ''Fürst''. History The origins of the family are traced to 14th century. In 16 ...

, 1877 (Sombre Sapphire or Emerald) *'' Eulonchus marialiciae'' Brimley, 1925 (Mary-Alice’s Emerald, Mary Alice's small-headed fly) *'' Eulonchus sapphirinus''

Osten Sacken The House von der Osten-Sacken is an old and distinguished noble family of Baltic Germans. The family members held the titles of ''Baron'', ''Graf'', ''Knyaz'' and ''Fürst''. History The origins of the family are traced to 14th century. In 16 ...

, 1877 (Northern Sapphire or Emerald) *'' Eulonchus smaragdinus'' 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

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in the

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, northwards to

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and southwards to

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

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

Hosts

Flies in the genus attack spiders in the families Euctenizidae 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