The New Mexico Rare Arthropod Resource

Little is known about the habitats and ecology of this species. Caenotus are small (<6mm), slender, black flies (Hull 1973). Adults have been collected flying during April and May (Hull 1973). They may be attracted to light like many other fly taxa, as many of the genus have been discovered on windows (Hull 1973, Yeates 1992). Larvae of Scenopinidae are predaceous on the larvae of other insects (Kelsey 1969). Scenopinidae is known as a pollinator family of flies (Grimaldi 1999), and Caenotus spp. have been documented as pollinators of Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) and Cinquefoil (Pontentilla fruticosa) (Villalobos et al. 2019), however species-specific floral visitation data is not available for C. inoratus. This species is likely a pollinator; a sister species, C. tanyrhynchus is documented as having many pollen grains from more than 2 plant species on its body (Metz 2003). The type locality, Alamogordo, New Mexico, is in the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion. However, the precise habitat needs of the species are unknown.

Caenotus inornatus is a fly known only from the type locality of Alamogordo, in southeastern New Mexico (Cole 1923). Extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) cannot be accurately calculated because there are no geo-referenced records available beside one centroid of Alamogordo, NM. Nothing else is known about the distribution of this species.

There is no targeted conservation for this species. Surveys are needed to understand whether the species remains extant. Research on the distribution, population size and trend, and threats is urgently needed, as it is possible this species is rare or has a restricted distribution.

The threats to this species are unknown, as little research has been done on the species and it has not been recorded since the early 1900s.

The population size and trend are not known for this species, as it is only known from the type locality and has not been recorded since it was described (Cole 1923). It is unclear whether the species has not been recorded because surveys have not been carried out, or if the species is rare.

• Metz, M.A.. 2003. Description of a new species of Caenotus Cole (Diptera: Scenopinidae) from Baja California Sur, Mexico, with a review of the genus. Zootaxa 223: (11).
• Grimaldi, D.. 1999. The Co-Radiations of Pollinating Insects and Angiosperms in the Cretaceous. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 86: (373).
• Hull, F.M.. 1973. Bee flies of the world: the genera of the family Bombyliidae. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC : (714).
• Melander, A.L.. 1928. Diptera. Family Empididae. Fasscicle 185. Louis desmet-Verteneuil, Bruxelles : (434).
• Villalobos, S., Sevenello-Montagner, J.M. and Vamosi, J.C.. 2019. Specialization in plant–pollinator networks: insights from local-scale interactions in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada. BMC Ecology 19: (34).
• Yeates, D.K.. 1992. Towards a Monophyletic Bombyliidae (Diptera): the Removal of the Proratinae (Diptera: Scenopinidae). American Museum Novitates 3051.
• GBIF.org. 2024. GBIF Occurrence Download. 2024. https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.gbatne
• Evenhuis, N.L. and Pape, T.. 2024. Systema Dipterorum. In: O. Bánki, Y. Roskov, M. Döring, G. Ower, D. R. Hernández Robles, C.A. Plata Corredor, T. Stjernegaard Jeppesen, A. Örn, L. Vandepitte, D. Hobern, P. Schalk, R.E. DeWalt, K. Ma, J. Miller, T. Orrell, R. Aalbu, J. Abbott, R. Adla. Natural History Museum of Denmark2024. https://doi.org/10.48580/dfsr-3bz
• Kelsey, L.P.. 1969. A Revision of the Scenopinidae (Diptera) of the World. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 277: (1-336).
• Cole, F.R.. 1923. A revision of the North American two-winged flies of the family Therevidae. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 62: (1-140).