Microdon

The fly genus Microdon (family Syrphidae) is a myrmecophilous fly world-wide in distribution. The adults are not known to feed while the larvae are found feeding on ant larvae and pupae of their ant host. Adult flies disperse from the nest to mate often in the vicinity of their host ant nests where they lay eggs. Adult Microdon have no special glands or hairs while their unusual larvae have a series of trichomes and associated glands along the margin of their body. The role of the glandular secretions and trichome hairs have not been clearly defined. There are about 250 species in the genus and each fly species has a preferred host ant genus and species.

Photo Gallery

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  Microdon ocellaris adult. Photo by Gary D. Alpert
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  Microdon ocellaris larva. Photo by Gary D. Alpert
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  Microdon larvae, Cape Otway, Victoria, Australia. Photo by Nick Porch.
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  Microdon empty pupal case, Cape Otway, Victoria, Australia. Photo by Nick Porch.
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  Microdon larva, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. Photo by Piotr Naskrecki.

List of Microdon

List of Microdon and their Host Ants

Genus and species	Author and Year	Ant Host	Distribution	Subgenus
Microdon abditus	Thompson, 1981	ants	Canada; Ontario, Quebec. United States; Connecticut, Florida, Illinois. Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire (type), New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia.	Dimeraspis
Microdon abstrusus	Thompson, 1981	Formica exsectoides	Maryland (type), Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia	Microdon
Microdon adventitus	Thompson, 1981	ants	Georgia (type)	Dimeraspis
Microdon aeneus	Keiser, 1952	ants	Indonesia: Flores, Timor	Microdon
Microdon aenoviridis	Curran, 1931	ants	Malay Peninsula	Chymophila
Microdon aeolidiformis	Wheeler, 1924	ants	Panama
Microdon albicomatus	Novak, 1977	Camponotus modoc, Formica obscuripes, Myrmica incompleta	Canada: Alberta, British Colombia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon. United States: Colorado, Idaho, New Hampshire, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming	Microdon
Microdon alboscutatus	Curran, 1931	ants	Malay Peninsula	Microdon
Microdon analis	(Macquart, 1842)	Lasius	China, Italy, Poland	Microdon
Microdon angulatus	Hull, 1943	ants	Neotropical: Brazil	Chymophila
Microdon argentinae	Hull, 1937	ants	Neotropical: Argentina	Chymophila
Microdon aureopilis	Marinoni, 2004	ants	Brazil	Microdon
Microdon auricomus	Coquillett, 1898	ants	China, Korea, Japan	Microdon
Microdon aurifacius	Hull, 1937	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon aurifex	Wiedemann, 1830	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon aurulentus	(Fabricius, 1805)	ants	North America: Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia	Microdon
Microdon baliopterus	Loew, 1872	Monomorium minimum	Mexico. United States: Arizona, California, Florida, Kansas, Texas (type), Virginia
Microdon baramus	Curran, 1942	ants	Sarawak: Baram	Chymophila
Microdon barbiellinii	Curran, 1936	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon barbouri	Hull, 1942	ants	Brazil
Microdon bassleri	Curran, 1940	ants	Neotropical	Microdon
Microdon beatus	Curran, 1942	ants	Oriental	Chymophila
Microdon bellus	Brunetti, 1923	ants	Oriental	Microdon
Microdon berobaka	Reemer, 2015	ants	Madagascar
Microdon bonariensis	Lynch Arribalzaga, 1891	ants	Argentina	Microdon
Microdon bruchi	Shannon, 1927	Camponotus mus	Neotropical: Argentina	Chymophila
Microdon brutus	Hull, 1944	ants	Neotropical: Brazil	Microdon
Microdon caesar	Curran, 1940	ants	Neotropical: Brazil	Microdon
Microdon coarctatus	Loew, 1864	ants	District of Colombia (type), Florida, Maryland, Nebraska	Omegasyrphus
Microdon colakriki	Reemer, 2014	ants	Suriname	Microdon
Microdon cothurnatus	Bigot, 1884	ants	California, Colorado, North Carolina	Microdon
Microdon craigheadii	Walton, 1912	ants	Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania (type)	Microdon
Microdon crassitarsis	(Macquart, 1848)	ants	Neotropical	Microdon
Microdon cyaneiventris	Macquart, 1846	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon cyaneus	Perty, 1833	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon dentigiganteus	Tian, Huo & Zhang, 2019	ants	China	Microdon
Microdon devius	(Linnaeus, 1761)	ants	France	Microdon
Microdon emeralda	Hull, 1943	ants	Neotropical: Guyana	Chymophila
Microdon eutristis	Curran, 1925	ants	Mexico, Yucatan	Microdon
Microdon flavoluna	Hull, 1943	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon formosanus	Shiraki, 1930	ants	Oriental: Formosa	Microdon
Microdon fucatissimus	(Hull, 1937)	ants	Neotropics	Syrphipogon
Microdon fulgens	Wiedemann, 1830	Camponotus atriceps, Formica schaufussi	Florida, Georgia (type), New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas	Chymophila
Microdon fulvopubescens	Brunetti, 1923	ants	Sri Lanka	Microdon
Microdon fumipennis	Hull, 1944	ants	Indonesia	Microdon
Microdon fuscipennis	(Macquart, 1834)	Forelius pruinosus	Georgia	Dimeraspis
Microdon gaigei	Steyskal, 1953	ants	Neotropics: Panama	Syrphipogon
Microdon globosus	(Fabricius, 1805)	Tapinoma sessile	Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin	Dimeraspis
Microdon hauseri	Reemer, 2013	ants	China	Microdon
Microdon histrio	Wiedemann, 1830	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon ignotus	Violovitsh, 1976	ants	China	Microdon
Microdon inaequalis	Loew, 1866	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon instabilis	Wiedemann, 1830	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon japonicus	Yano, 1915	ants	Japan, Korea	Microdon
Microdon katsurai	Maruyama & Hironaga, 2004	Polyrhachis lamellidens	Japan	Chymophila
Microdon kidai	Hironaga & Maruyama, 2004	Formica japonica	Japan	Microdon
Microdon lanceolatus	Adams, 1903	Formica argentea	Canada: Alberta. United States: California, Colorado, Kansas (type), Montana, New Mexico, Utah	Microdon
Microdon lateus	Violovitsh, 1976	ants	Russian Federation	Microdon
Microdon latiscutellaris	Curran, 1931	ants	Oriental	Chymophila
Microdon lativentris	Meijere, 1921	ants	Oriental	Chymophila
Microdon lehri	Mutin, 1999	ants	Oriental	Microdon
Microdon limbatus	Wiedemann, 1830	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon lundura	Curran, 1942	ants	Oriental	Chymophila
Microdon macquartii	Lynch Arribalzaga, 1891	ants	Brazil, Suriname
Microdon macrocerus	Hironaga & Maruyama, 2004	Camponotus obscuripes	Japan	Microdon
Microdon major	Andries, 1912	Formica fusca, Formica lemani	Italy, Netherlands, Germany, France, Romania	Microdon
Microdon mandarinus	Reemer, 2013	ants	China	Microdon
Microdon manitobensis	Curran, 1924	ants	Canada; Manitoba, New Brunswick, Quebec, Nova Scotia, British Colombia. United States; New York, Colorado, New Mexico, Washington	Microdon
Microdon marceli	Curran, 1936	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon maritimus	Violovitsh, 1976	ants	USSR	Microdon
Microdon marmoratus	Bigot, 1884	ants	California, Oregon	Dimeraspis
Microdon megalogaster	Snow, 1892	Formica subsericea, Formica fusca	Canada; Ontario, Quebec. United States; Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Wisconsin	Microdon
Microdon metallicus	Meijere, 1904	ants	South Asian	Microdon
Microdon miki	Doczkal & Schmid, 1999	Lasius platythorax	Korea, Germany, Austria, Italy	Microdon
Microdon mourei	Marinoni, 2004	ants	Brazil	Microdon
Microdon murayamai	Hironaga & Maruyama, 2004	Formica lemani	Japan	Microdon
Microdon mutabilis	(Linnaeus, 1758)	Formica lemani, Formica fusca, Lasius niger and Myrmica ruginodis	Korea, Europe, Kazakhstan, West Siberia, Far East, Ireland, Norway, Britain	Microdon
Microdon myrmicae	Schönrogge, Barr, Wardlaw, Napper, Gardner, Breen, Elmes & Thomas, 2002	Myrmica scabrinodis	Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden, France, Poland, Spain, Austria, United Kingdom of Great Britain	Microdon
Microdon mysa	Violovitsh, 1971	ants	Russia: Siberia	Microdon
Microdon nero	Curran, 1936	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon nestor	Curran, 1940	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon newcomeri	Mann, 1924	ants	California	Microdon
Microdon nigrodorsatus	Mutin, 2011	ants	Palearctic	Microdon'
Microdon novus	(Schrank, 1776)	ants	Palearctic	Microdon
Microdon ocellaris	Curran, 1924	Formica incerta	Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania (type), South Carolina	Microdon
Microdon oitanus	Shiraki, 1930	ants	China, Korea, Japan	Microdon
Microdon opulentus	Bigot, 1883	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon painteri	Hull, 1922	ants	Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi (type), Texas	Omegasyrphus
Microdon piperi	Knab, 1917	Camponotus herculeanus, Camponotus laevissimus , Camponotus modoc	Oregon, Montana, Washington (type)	Microdon
Microdon planitarsus	Keiser, 1971	ants	Madagascar	Megodon
Microdon podomelainus	Huo, Ren & Zheng, 2007	ants	China	Microdon
Microdon pulcher	Williston, 1887	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon remotus	Knab, 1917	ants	Cuba	Dimeraspis
Microdon remus	Curran, 1941	ants	Brazil	Microdon
Microdon ruficrus	Williston, 1887	Lasius alienus	Canada: Quebec, Nova Scotia, Ontario. United States: Connecticut, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia	Microdon
Microdon rufiventris	(Rondani, 1848)	ants	Colombia, Suriname	Microdon
Microdon shannoni	Curran, 1940	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon simplex	Shiraki, 1930	ants	Korea, Japan, Taiwan
Microdon splendens	Wiedemann, 1830	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon stilboides	Walker, 1849	ants	Oriental	Chymophila
Microdon stramineus	Hull, 1943	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon stuckenbergi	(Keiser, 1971)	ants	Madagascar	Megodon
Microdon sumatranus	Wulp, 1892	ants	Thailand, Indonesia	Microdon
Microdon sumbanus	Keiser, 1952	ants	Indonesian: Pulau Sumba	Microdon
Microdon superbus	Wiedemann, 1830	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon tigrinus	Curran, 1940	Acromyrmex coronatus	Brazil, Sao Paulo	Chymophila
Microdon tristis	Loew, 1864	Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Camponotus novaeboracensis	Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia (type)	Microdon
Microdon tsara	Keiser, 1971	ants	Madagascar
Microdon ursitarsis	Stackelberg, 1926	ants	Russia: Amur and Primorye regions	Microdon
Microdon villosus	Bezzi, 1915	ants	Uganda	Myiacerapis
Microdon violaceus	(Macquart, 1842)	ants	Chile	Microdon
Microdon virgo	Curran, 1940	ants	Suriname	Microdon
Microdon willistoni	Mik, 1899	ants	Neotropical	Chymophila
Microdon xanthopilis	Townsend, 1895	Formica obscuripes	Canada: Alberta, British Columbia. United States: California (type), Idaho, Montana, Washington	Microdon
Microdon yokohamai	Hironaga & Maruyama, 2004	Formica japonica	Japan	Microdon
Microdon yunnanensis	Reemer, 2013	ants	China	Microdon

REFERENCES

• Adams, C. F. 1903. Descriptions of six new species. Pp. 221-223. In Snow, F. H., A preliminary list of the Diptera of Kansas. Kans. Univ. Sci. Bull. 2 [=whole ser., 12]: 211-223.
• Akre, R.D., G. Alpert, and T. Alpert, “Life cycle and behaviour of Microdon cothurnatus in Washington (Diptera: Syrphidae),” Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 327–338, 1973.
• Akre, R.D., W. B. Garnett, and R. S. Zack, “Ant hosts of Microdon (Diptera: Syrphidae) in the Pacific Northwest,” Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, vol. 63, no. 1, pp. 175–178, 1990.
• Bigot, J. M. F. 1884. Dipteres nouveaux ou peu connus. 22e partie, XXXII: Syrphidi (2e partie). Especes nouvelles, No 1er. Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. (6) 3: 315-356.
• Bonelli, S., M. Witek, S. Canterino, M Sielezniew, A. Stankiewicz-Fiedurek, A. Tartally, E. Balletto, and K. Schonrogge. 2011. Distribution, host specificity, and the potential for cryptic speciation in hoverfly Microdon myrmicae (Diptera:Syrphidae), a social parasite of Myrmica ants. Ecological Entomology (36): 135-143.
• Curran, C. H. 1924. Brief diagnoses of some Diptera occurring in New England. Psyche (Camb) 31: 226-228.
• Curran, C. H. 1925. Contribution to a monograph of the American Syrphidae north of Mexico. Kans. Univ.Sci. Bull. (1924) 15: 7-216, 12 pls.
• Curran, C.H. Syrphidae from Sarawak and the Malay Peninsula (Diptera). Amer. Mus. Novit. (1942).
• Duffield, R.M. 1981 Biology of Microdon fuscipennis (Diptera:Syrphidae) with interpretation of the reproductve strategies of Microdon species found north of Mexico. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 83(4):716-724.
• Greene, C. T. 1955. Larvae and pupae of the genera Microdon and Mixogastcr. Am. Entomol. Soc. Trans. 81: 1-20.
• Hironaga, Teruhiko & Munetoshi Maruyama. 2004 The myrmecophilous hoverfly genus Microdon (Diptera, Syrphidae, Microdontinae) in Hokkaidô, Japan, with descriptions of four new species. Bulletin of the National Science Museum, Series A (Zoology) 30(2)
• Hull, F. M. 1922. New Syrphidae (Diptera) from Mississippi. Ann. Ent. Soc. Am. 15: 370-373.
• Hull, F.M. 1937. New species of exotic syrphid flies. Psyche 44: 12-32, pl. 2.
• Hull, F.M. 1942. New species of Syrphidae from the Neotropical region. Psyche 49: 84-107.
• Hull, F.M. 1943. Some flies of the genus Microdon in the British Museum (Natural History). Annals and Magazine of Natural History (????) 11: 702-720.
• Iwai H, Horikawa D, Arakawa K, Tomita M, Komatsu T (2016) Rearing and observation of immature stages of the hoverfly Microdon katsurai(Diptera, Syrphidae). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e10185.
• Jones, C.R. 1922. A contribution to our knowledge of the Syrphidae of Colorado. Bull. Agric. Exp. Stn. Colo. 269: 1-72, 8 pls.
• Knab, F. 1917. On some North American species of Microdon (Diptera: Syrphidae). Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 30: 133-143.
• Loew, H. 1864. Diptera Americae septentrionalis indigena. Centuria quinta. Berl. Ent. Z. 8: 49-104.
• Loew, H. 1872. Diptera Americae septentrionalis indigena. Centuria decima. Berl. Ent. Z. 16: 49-124.
• Marinoni, L. & Thompson, F.C. 2004. Flower flies of southeastern Brazil (Diptera: Syrphidae). Part I. Introduction and new species. Studia Dipterologica 10: 565-578.
• Mutin, V.A. & Barkalov, A.V. 1999. 62. Fam. Syrphidae - ????. Pp. 342-500. In Lehr, P. A. (ed.), Key to the insects of Russian Far East. Vol. 6. Diptera and Siphonaptera. Part 1. 665 pp. Dal'nauka, Valdivostok.
• Novak, J.A., R.D. Akre & W.B. Garnett 1977. Keys to adults and puparia of five species of Microdon (Diptera:Syrphidae) from eastern Washington and northern Idaho, with descriptions of new species. Can. Ent. 109:663-668.
• Reemer, M. 2013. Review and phylogenetic evaluation of associations between Microdontinae (Diptera:Syrphidae) and ants (Hymenoptera:Formicidae). Psyche: A Journal of Entomology: ID:538316.
• Reemer, M. A review of Microdontinae (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Surinam, with a key to the Neotropical genera. Tijdschr. Ent. (2014).
• Reemer, Menno & Bot, Sander, 2015, Six new species of Microdon Meigen from Madagascar (Diptera: Syrphidae), Zootaxa 4034 (1), pp. 127-147
• Reemer, M, Stahs, G. 2013. Generic revision and species classification of the Microdontinae (Diptera, Syrphidae). ZooKeys 288:1-213.
• Scarparo, G., Wolton, R., Molfini, M., Pinna, L.C., di Giulio, A. 2020. Comparative morphology of myrmecophilous immature stages of European Microdon species (Diptera: Syrphidae): updated identification key and new diagnostic characters. Zootaxa 4789, 348–370
• Steyskal, G.C. 1953. A new melissomimetic fly of the genus Microdon (Diptera, Syrphidae). Occas. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ. Mich. 551, 4 pp.
• Thompson, F.C. 1981. Revisionary notes on Nearctic Microdon flies (Diptera:Syrphidae), Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 83(4): 725-758.
• Tian J, Huo KK, Zhang CT, Ren BZ. Microdon dentigiganteum sp. nov. and other Microdontinae species (Diptera: Syrphidae) from Northeast China. Zootaxa. 2019 Dec 18;4712(1):zootaxa.4712.1.4. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4712.1.4.
• Townsend, C. H. T. 1895. Notes on the Diptera of Baja California, including some species from adjacent regions. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. (2) 4: 593-620
• Violovitsh, N.A. 1976. [A short survey on species of genus Microdon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera, Syrphidae) from the fauna of the USSR] Nov. mal. vidy Faun. Sibir 10: 155-161. [In Russian, English summary] [1976.02.20]
• Walton, W. R. 1912. New North American Diptera. Ent. News 23: 463-464.
• William Mornton Wheeler, 1908. Studies on Myrmecophiles. III. Microdon. Journ. New York Entom. Soc, 16, 202-213. 1909.
• Wiedemann, C. R. W. 1830. Aussereuropaische zweiflugelige Insekten. Zweiter Theil. Schulz, Hamm. xii + 684 pp., 5 pls.
• Williston, S.W. 1887. Synopsis of the North American Syrphidae. Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus. (1886) 31, xxx + 335 pp, 12 pls.