A female Variable Duskyface Fly in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/11/2016). Determined by Bill Dean/BugGuide.

View Record Details Photo by Steve Scholnick MBP List

A female Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/11/2021). Confirmed by Bill Dean at BugGuide.net.

View Record Details Photo by Jim Moore MBP List

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/28/2022). (c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (<a rel='license' href='http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/'>CC BY-NC</a>). (Photo ID: 577533 - Psn: 22)

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/28/2022). (c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

View Record Details Photo by Stephen John Davies via iNaturalist MBP List

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (8/27/2022). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (<a rel='license' href='http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/'>CC BY-NC</a>). (Photo ID: 636431 - Psn: 22)

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (8/27/2022). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

View Record Details Photo by Jim Moore MBP List

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Garrett Co., Maryland (6/23/2014). Determined by Kelsey J.R.P. Byers/BugGuide.

View Record Details Photo by Tim Martin MBP List

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Prince George's Co., Maryland (6/23/2021). Verified by Bill Dean/BugGuide.

View Record Details Photo by Barbara Thurlow MBP List

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/4/2021). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (<a rel='license' href='http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/'>CC BY-NC</a>). (Photo ID: 507438 - Psn: 42)

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/4/2021). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

View Record Details Photo by Frode Jacobsen MBP List

Variable Duskyface Fly in Garrett Co., Maryland (6/21/2025). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (<a rel='license' href='http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/'>CC BY-NC</a>). (Photo ID: 1288963 - Psn: 44)

Variable Duskyface Fly in Garrett Co., Maryland (6/21/2025). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

View Record Details Photo by Frode Jacobsen MBP List

A male Variable Duskyface Fly in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/28/2018). Determined by Ken Wolgemuth/BugGuide.

View Record Details Photo by Emily Stanley MBP List

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/10/2021). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (<a rel='license' href='http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/'>CC BY-NC</a>). (Photo ID: 495389 - Psn: 45)

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/10/2021). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

View Record Details Photo by Frode Jacobsen MBP List

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Prince George's Co., Maryland (4/3/2021). (c) Sergei Drovetski, all rights reserved. (Photo ID: 529843 - Psn: 52)

View Record Details Photo by Sergei Drovetski MBP List

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/28/2022). (c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

View Record Details Photo by Stephen John Davies via iNaturalist MBP List

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/18/2023). (c) maragay, some rights reserved (<a rel='license' href='http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/'>CC BY-NC</a>). (Photo ID: 891271 - Psn: 75)

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/18/2023). (c) maragay, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

View Record Details Photo by maragay via iNaturalist MBP List

Variable Duskyface Fly in Garrett Co., Maryland (7/18/2024). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (<a rel='license' href='http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/'>CC BY-NC</a>). (Photo ID: 1070528 - Psn: 75)

Variable Duskyface Fly in Garrett Co., Maryland (7/18/2024). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

View Record Details Photo by Jim Moore MBP List

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/12/2021). (c) Zachary Dankowicz, some rights reserved (<a rel='license' href='http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/'>CC BY-NC</a>). (Photo ID: 396042 - Psn: 76)

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/12/2021). (c) Zachary Dankowicz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

View Record Details Photo by Zachary Dankowicz via iNaturalist MBP List

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Baltimore City, Maryland (5/31/2010). Determined by Kelsey J.R.P. Byers/BugGuide.

View Record Details Photo by Thomas Wilson MBP List

Map Snapshot

28 Records

GA AL WA FR CL MO HO BA BC HA CE PG AA CV CH SM KE QA CN TA DO WI SO WO

Status

Widespread and abundant in northern North America, but infrequently recorded from Maryland. This may be at least in part because it is not especially distinctive. Found in mixed woodlands and damp meadows, where it feeds on grass pollen and other flowers.

Description

The only nearctic member of its genus. Males typically have yellow quadrate markings on the abdomen; female markings are triangular (Skevington, 2019). Genus Platycheirus is similar, but this species can be identified from photos with care.

Relationships

Larvae feed on aphids.

Seasonality Summary

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Resources

View at iNaturalist Search Google Images Search MBP Facebook posts

View images at BugGuide

Citations

No citations linked for this taxon yet.

Use of media featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.

A female Variable Duskyface Fly in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/11/2016). Determined by Bill Dean/BugGuide. View Record Details Media by Steve Scholnick.

A female Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/11/2021). Confirmed by Bill Dean at BugGuide.net. View Record Details Media by Jim Moore.

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/28/2022). (c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). View Record Details Media by Stephen John Davies via iNaturalist.

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (8/27/2022). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). View Record Details Media by Jim Moore.

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Garrett Co., Maryland (6/23/2014). Determined by Kelsey J.R.P. Byers/BugGuide. View Record Details Media by Tim Martin.

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Prince George's Co., Maryland (6/23/2021). Verified by Bill Dean/BugGuide. View Record Details Media by Barbara Thurlow.

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/4/2021). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). View Record Details Media by Frode Jacobsen.

Variable Duskyface Fly in Garrett Co., Maryland (6/21/2025). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). View Record Details Media by Frode Jacobsen.

A male Variable Duskyface Fly in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/28/2018). Determined by Ken Wolgemuth/BugGuide. View Record Details Media by Emily Stanley.

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/10/2021). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). View Record Details Media by Frode Jacobsen.

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/28/2022). (c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). View Record Details Media by Stephen John Davies via iNaturalist.

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/18/2023). (c) maragay, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). View Record Details Media by maragay via iNaturalist.

Variable Duskyface Fly in Garrett Co., Maryland (7/18/2024). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). View Record Details Media by Jim Moore.

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/12/2021). (c) Zachary Dankowicz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). View Record Details Media by Zachary Dankowicz via iNaturalist.

A Variable Duskyface Fly in Baltimore City, Maryland (5/31/2010). Determined by Kelsey J.R.P. Byers/BugGuide. View Record Details Media by Thomas Wilson.