@emmecola @TarkabarkaHolgy The plot thickens: flies caught in a ménage a trois.
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/130151539
#iNaturalist #Conopidae #Diptera #flies
Physocephala vittata, a conopid fly: endoparasitoid of adult bees and wasps. From Kolymvari, Crete, Greece.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/165098840
#iNaturalist #Diptera #Conopidae #entomology #insects
Of my 12 observations this year of conopid* flies – mostly parasites of adult wasps – from US, UK and Croatia, none have collected a single comment or endorsement of the genus or species.
Did I get them right? Hopefully. Am I an expert? No. Just wish there was a guide out there on these fascinating flies. How they ever evolved into being is a fascinating thought to entertain.
* Conopids are also known as thick-headed flies, beegrabbers and waspgrabbers. For their life history, see: Gibson's thesis (2011), titled "The evolutionary biology of Conopidae (Diptera): a life history, molecular, morphological, systematic, and taxonomic approach" https://repository.library.carleton.ca/downloads/ks65hc719 which, among other details, has "the first ever key to world genera of Conopidae".
First unusual fly of the season:
Myopa vicaria, a conopid https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/204696300
The larvae of these flies are all internal parasites, "most of aculeate (stinging) Hymenoptera. Adult females aggressively intercept their hosts in flight to deposit eggs." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conopidae
There are still very few insects around, but I found this Myopa fly staring at me.
A couple of Thick-headed Flies #Conopidae - Waisted Bee-grabber (Physocephala rufipes), and a pair of mating Ferruginous Bee-grabbers (Sicus ferrugineus) - both species are parasites of bumblebees, pouncing on them and injecting eggs inside them.
#Fly #Flies #Diptera #Bees #Parasites #Entomology #Insect #Insects #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #Nature #NaturePhotography #NatureCommunity
I think this fly is in the family Conopidae aka the Thick-headed Flies. Not sure why dipterists gotta head-width shame these fellas. Besides, it's head isn't even that thick. Unless the thick is metaphorical; if so, how did they conduct the intelligence tests?
#insect #Diptera #Conopidae #FlyDay #FlydayFriday #entomology
Flies galore, of the parasitoid kind:
Tachinid fly, Gymnostoma rotundanum http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/165099855 . The #Tachinidae lay eggs on the surface of their host—often other insects—with such strong glue that removing the egg would kill the host. Often even drop larvae directly on the hosts.
Thick-headed fly, Physocephala visatta http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/165098840 The #Conopidae are internal parasites of bees and wasps—intercepting them in mid flight, the female’s abdomen has a “can opener” to insert an egg between the abdominal tergites of the host.
Beefly, Lasiopa sp. http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/165105614 The #Bombylidae drop their eggs while in flight near the entrance of solitary bee nests. The larvae crawl in and take over the bee’s resources of nectar and pollen, either starving or directly eating the bee larva.
All the adults happily sip nectar; the larvae, meanwhile, rival parasitoid wasps in their lifestyle and effectiveness.
A conopid fly wasp-mimic, possibly Physocephala marginata. I had to follow him around for a long time before he settled down and let me take his picture.
This is a male, I think, since female conopids have a wicked can-opener type thing at the end of their abdomen that they use to pry into the bodies of bees, where they deposit their eggs after catching the bees in flight.
Surprise, surprise. Looking for native bees instead I found what looks like one of their parasites: a conopid fly. Their larvae are endoparasites of various bees, and pupate and overwinter in their victims. So instead of a beautiful bee we get this weirdo ugly fly.
Myopa sp. (not Sicus ferrugineus as I first thought but doubted; thanks to Theo Chass for the ID) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/153457725
@entospace Ah yes indeed, Sicus ferrugineus! This graceless-looking conopid parasitoid fly is rather abundant here in Cambridge, and they are parasites of bumblebees.
Left: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124556281
Right: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/85790161
Not only the wasp clade developed parasitoid species. Flies did too, particularly in the Conopidae family https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conopidae –easy to recognize by the curved tip of their abdomens.
Some conopids sneak attack bees and wasps in mid air, inserting an egg between their dorsal abdominal tergites (surface hardened plates of each segment).
Zodion sp. possibly male (lacks the can opener-like ending of a female) from #Pyrenees https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/127056906
