Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Diptera (True flies) ➔ Family Phoridae (Scuttle Flies)
Phalacrotophora sp. Enderlein, 1912
pupa
DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
2016-09-03 13:14:30
conf. Tony Irwin
pupa
DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
2016-09-03 13:15:58
conf. Paul Beuk
host pupa
DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
2016-08-30 17:05:49
host pupa
DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
2016-09-01 11:06:14
Annotation:
Some species of the genus Phalacrotophora are known as endoparasitoids of ladybirds. These include the two species identified in Germany Phalacrotophora berolinensis and Phalacrotophora fasciata. [1,2]
The 3 mm Phalacrotophora pupa stems from a larva that hatched from the pupa of a Ten-spot Ladybird Calvia decemguttata shown here. When comparing the bright host pupa on the image from August 30 with a non-parasitized pupa of the same species, an empty dark area behind the scutum becomes apparent as an indication that the Phalacrotophora larva has already killed the host pupa and is eating up this. Two days later, the darkened skeleton of the pupa was just left.
References, further reading, links:
- de Jong, Y.S.D.M. (ed.) (2013) Fauna Europaea version 2.6.2 Web Service available online at https://fauna-eu.org/
- R. H. L. Disney, P. L. Th. Beuk, European Phalacrotophora (Diptera: Phoridae), Entomologist's Gazette 48 (1997), 185-192