heleomyzid fly

Suillia quinquepunctata is a medium-sized heleomyzid fly. The head, thorax, and abdomen are brown.

The thorax is light brown with darker brown stripes, short black hairs, and rows of long, black bristles. The plate between the thorax and abdomen (scutellum) has hairs over most of the upper (dorsal) surface. The abdomen is light brown with a narrow, bristly, dark brown band at the end of each segment.

The head is brown. The compound eyes are large and brown. The antennae have three segments. The third segment is short and rounded. There is a large black bristle (arista) on the upper (dorsal) side of each antenna. The arista projects upward, not forward.

The wings are clear and have prominent spines on the forward margin (costa) of the wing. The first vein after the costa (Sc1) is unbroken and extends to the costa near the wing tip (complete). There are five spots on each wing: a black spot at the end of each of the three longitudinal veins, and a black spot on each of the two cross-veins.

The legs are pale. The base of the middle and hind legs are close together. The last part of the leg (tarsus), corresponding to a foot, is black.

Total length: up to 5 ⁄16″

Shaded areas near dung, carrion, or other rotting matter, or fungi.

Early spring to late fall

Eggs are laid in fungi and in bird nests, mammal burrows, and other areas with decaying material.

Sources

24, 29, 30, 82, 83.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 7/8/2025).

This species has no common name. The common name of the family Heleomyzidae is heleomyzid flies, and it is applied here for convenience.