The larva ofThecophora occidensis, with comments upon the biology of Conopidae:Diptera

Abstract

The larva of Thecophora occidensis(Walker) is described and it is shown that the attenuation

The biology and taxonomy of the genus Stylogaster Macquart, 1835 (Diptera: Conopidae, Stylogasterinae) in the Ethiopian and Malagasy regions

“…The subject has been recently reviewed by Rettenmeyer (1961), who suggested that the genus was in fact parasitic upon Tachinidae (Diptera) and cockroaches (Dictyoptera : Blattidae) in America, and by Stuckenberg (1963), who showed that in Africa some Stylogaster oviposit upon silvicolous dung-breeding Muscidae and certain other Diptera. A general review of the early literature on Stylogaster is included in Smith (1966). Lopes (1937), working in South America, was the first to h d and describe the dart-like eggs of Stylogaster, from cockroaches and other Orthoptera (s.1.).…”

Checklist dos Conopidae (Insecta, Diptera) do Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

“…Têm probóscide bem desenvolvida, adaptada ao hábito alimentar nectarívoro, alimentando-se em fl ores de plantas das famílias Apiaceae, Asteraceae e Lamiaceae (Lopes, 1937;Smith & Peterson, 1987). As larvas são endoparasitas de outros insetos, preferencialmente os da ordem Hymenoptera, sendo consideradas pragas menores em apicultura (Smith, 1966;Smith & Van Someren, 1970;Smith & Peterson, 1987), exceto para os Stylogastrinae, que ovipositam em Orthoptera, Blattaria e Diptera Calyptratae (Lopes, 1937;Smith, 1967Smith, , 1969Couri & Pont, 2006). Têm importância menor como polinizadores, mas no geral a biologia é pouco conhecida, com poucos trabalhos concentrados nas espécies que parasitam himenópteros.…”

Conopid flies (Diptera: Conopidae) parasitizing Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Centridini)

“…The larva develops inside the abdomen of the host by feeding on internal tissue and hemolymph (Pouvreau 1974, Müller et al 1996. Development of the larval parasitoid takes about 10-12 days after oviposition when the host is killed and the parasite pupates in situ (Smith 1966, Pouvreau 1974. The pupa remains inside the host and, for temperate species, the parasitoid hibernates where its host dies, usually outside the nest (Smith & Van Someren 1970, Schmid-Hempel & Müller 1991, before emerging at the following spring.…”