key

 -   Subfamilies
 -   Asilinae
    Machimus-group
 -   M. arthriticus
 -   M. chrysitis
 -   M. cyanopus
 -   M. gonatistes
 -   M. rusticus
 -   M. setibarbus
 -   N. setosulus
 -   T. atricapillus
 -   T. atripes
 -   T. cingulatus
 -   T. cowini
 -   T. micans
 -   T. pyragra
 -   T. strandi

  contents & layout
  & copyright:
  Fritz Geller-Grimm
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Identification key to the species of the Machimus-group

back to the key to Asilinae

Currently, there are 14 species of the Machimus-group known from Germany, which are placed in Tolmerus, Machimus, and Neoepitriptus. However, the placement of species is difficult and unsatisfactory due to the lack of well-corroborated generic diagnoses. LEHR (1996) tried to clarify the status of the genera of the Machimina-group, but without success. He has also synonymised Epitriptus with Tolmerus. It is probable that some additional species, especially in the poecilogaster-group, will eventually be found to occur in Germany. Single female specimens can often not be determined without knowledge of males.
The following tables for comparison of taxa are available:

• Tolmerus-group I (atricapillus, micans, pyragra, strandi)
• Tolmerus-group II (cingulatus, cowini)

1 a.	Front femur with distinct stout bristles ventrally [Fig. 1] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 2

1 b.	Front femur without distinct stout bristles ventrally and only with hairs [Fig. 2] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 3

2 a.	Femora entirely black [Fig. 3] . . . . . . . . . . . . Machimus arthriticus (Zeller, 1840)

2 b.	Femora yellow posteriorly [Fig. 4] . . . . . . . . . . . . Neoepitriptus setosulus (Zeller, 1840)

3 a.	Legs entirely black (sometimes `knees` paler) [Fig. 5], [Fig. 6] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 4

3 b.	Legs at least in part red or yellow [Fig. 7], [Fig. 8] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 6

4 a.	Species generally smaller than 18 mm [Fig. 9]; 2-4 scutellar marginal bristles [Fig. 10] . . . . . . . . . . . . Tolmerus atripes Loew, 1854

4 b.	Species generally larger than 18 mm [Fig. 11]; 4-8 scutellar marginal bristles [Fig. 12] . . . . . . . . . . . . zu 5

5 a.	Face beard (mystax) with distinctly stout bristles (especially ventrally) [Fig. 13], [Fig. 24] . . . . . . . . . . . . Machimus setibarbus (Loew, 1849) or Machimus intermedius Holmgren in Zetterstedt, 1852

5 b.	Face beard (mystax) with only `normal` bristles [Fig. 15], [Fig. 16] . . . . . . . . . . . . Machimus cyanopus (Loew, 1849)

6 a.	Femora black, tibiae predominantly black and only red or yellow basally [Fig. 17], [Fig. 18] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 7

6 b.	Femora in part red or yellowh [Fig. 19], [Fig. 20] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 8

7 a.	Only black bristles on legs; scutum predominantly with black bristles; postpedicel nearly equal in length to first two antennal segments combined [Fig. 21]; eepandria apically slanted [Fig. 22] . . . . . . . . . . . . Machimus gonatistes (Zeller, 1840)

7 b.	Black and yellow bristles on legs; scutum predominantly with yellow bristles; postpedicel longer than first two antennal segments combined [Fig. 23]; epandria narrow, rounded apically [Fig. 24] . . . . . . . . . . . . Machimus rusticus (Meigen, 1820)

8 a.	Species generally larger than 18 mm; 4-8 scutellar marginal bristles [Fig. 25], [Fig. 26] . . . . . . . . . . . . Machimus chrysitis (Meigen, 1820)

8 b.	Species generally shorter than 18 mm; 2-4 scutellar marginal bristles [Fig. 27], [Fig. 28] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 9

9 a.	Tibiae red, black apically and with a black ring medially [Fig. 29], [Fig. 30] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 10

9 b.	Tibiae red, but without such a black ring medially [Fig. 31], [Fig. 32] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 11

10 a.

Hind femora, in posterior view, red dorsally [Fig. 33] - female specimens cannot be assigned properly to species; gonostylus (dististylus) smaller and not strongly angled basally [Fig. 34] - cf. table for comparison! . . . . . . . . . . . . Tolmerus cingulatus (Fabricius, 1781)

10 b.

Hind femora, in posterior view, predominantly black dorsally, only base and tip red [Fig. 35] - this character is usually found in males, but does not work well for females, which are red dorsally; gonostylus (dististylus) broader and distinctly angled at base [Fig. 36] . . . . . . . . . . . . Tolmerus cowini (Hobby, 1946)

11 a.

males (cf. table for comparison) . . . . . . . . . . . . to 12

11 b.

females (female specimens cannot be assigned to species without males, cf. table for comparison) . . . . . . . . . . . . to 15

12 a.

Last sternite with a long, bifid projection posteriorly [Fig. 37], [Fig. 38] . . . . . . . . . . . . Tolmerus atricapillus (Fallén, 1814)

12 b.

Last sternite with a usual, more or less straight hind margin [Fig. 39] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 13

13 a.

Gonostylus excavated apically [Fig. 40]; aedeagus short and straight towards tip [Fig. 41] . . . . . . . . . . . . Tolmerus pyragra (Zeller, 1840)

13 b.

Gonostylus only weakly excavated apically [Fig. 40]; aedeagus long and bent [Fig. 41] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 14

14 a.

Gonostylus short and wide apically [Fig. 42]; aedeagal apodeme small [Fig. 43] . . . . . . . . . . . . Tolmerus strandi (Duda, 1940)

14 b.

Gonostylus long and narrower apically [Fig. 44]; aedeagal apodeme larger [Fig. 45] . . . . . . . . . . . . Tolmerus micans (Meigen, 1820)

15 a.

Ovipositor cylindrical in cross-section (not distinctly laterally compressed) [Fig. 46], [Fig. 47] . . . . . . . . . . . . Tolmerus strandi (Duda, 1940)

15 b.

Ovipositor laterally compressed [Fig. 48], [Fig. 49] . . . . . . . . . . . . to 16

16 a.

[no assignment to species possible without males] . . . . . . . . . . . . Tolmerus atricapillus (Fallén, 1814) . . . . . . . . . . . . Tolmerus micans (Meigen, 1820) . . . . . . . . . . . . Tolmerus pyragra (Zeller, 1840)