Bug FAQRachicerus obscuripennis
Rachicerus obscuripennis · Order: Diptera · Family: Xylophagidae
Rachicerus obscuripennis is a North American dipteran in the Rachicerinae subfamily. It is the only North American species whose antenna segments are pectinate, or comb-like.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its antennae have pectinate (comb-like) flagellomeres, a trait unique among North American species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Rachicerus obscuripennis is a North American fly belonging to the Rachicerinae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 17 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Kansas, Georgia, Ohio, Arkansas, Illinois.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where is Rachicerus obscuripennis found?
It occurs in North America as a member of the Rachicerinae flies.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Xylophagidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachicerus_obscuripennis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.