Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Diptera (True flies) ➔ Family Stratiomyidae (Soldier flies)

Clitellaria ephippium (Fabricius, 1775)

Synonyms and other combinations:

Ephippium thoracicum Latreille, 1805 | Musca inda Schrank, 1781 | Musca sellata Fuesslin, 1775 | Stratiomys coccinea Geoffroy, 1785 | Stratiomys euphippium Rondani, 1856 | Stratiomys schaefferi Geoffroy, 1785 |

  • Clitellaria ephippium, female 4586
    Clitellaria ephippium (Fabricius, 1775)     
    Clitellaria ephippium, female
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2011-05-29 09:17:02
    Image number: 4586
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2011-05-29 09:17:02
  • Clitellaria ephippium, female 4587
    Clitellaria ephippium (Fabricius, 1775)     
    Clitellaria ephippium, female
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2011-05-29 09:17:11
    Image number: 4587
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2011-05-29 09:17:11
  • Clitellaria ephippium, female 4588
    Clitellaria ephippium (Fabricius, 1775)     
    Clitellaria ephippium, female
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2011-05-29 09:22:02
    Image number: 4588
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2011-05-29 09:22:02
  • Clitellaria ephippium, female 8771
    Clitellaria ephippium (Fabricius, 1775)     
    Clitellaria ephippium, female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2019-06-12 14:47:39
    Image number: 8771
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2019-06-12 14:47:39
  • Clitellaria ephippium, female 8772
    Clitellaria ephippium (Fabricius, 1775)     
    Clitellaria ephippium, female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2019-06-12 14:48:48
    Image number: 8772
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2019-06-12 14:48:48
  • Clitellaria ephippium, female 8773
    Clitellaria ephippium (Fabricius, 1775)     
    Clitellaria ephippium, female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2019-06-12 14:47:43
    Image number: 8773
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2019-06-12 14:47:43
  • Clitellaria ephippium, female 8774
    Clitellaria ephippium (Fabricius, 1775)     
    Clitellaria ephippium, female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2019-06-12 14:51:36
    Image number: 8774
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2019-06-12 14:51:36
  • Clitellaria ephippium 8775
    Clitellaria ephippium (Fabricius, 1775)     
    Clitellaria ephippium
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2019-06-12 14:47:57
    Image number: 8775

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2019-06-12 14:47:57

Classification:
Clitellaria ephippium belongs to the subfamily Clitellariinae.
Distribution:
Europe.
Habitat:
Predominantly in forests with mature trees or near forests, where ants, the hosts of the larvae, can be found.
Description:
Clitellaria ephippium is a large black soldier fly with dark tinted wings and a body length of 9.5 - 14.5 mm. The mesonotum is velvety red with 2 lateral spines. The black scutellum also has two long spines. Males and females can be distinguished on the basis of the eye-distance. While the eyes stand far apart in the female, they meet in the male.
Clitellaria ephippium is the only species of the genus in Germany. The species is unmistakable.
Biology:
Adult flies of Clitellaria ephippium are found in May and June.
I discovered the female of 2019 at the trunk of an old tree inhabited by ants. I suspect that she was busy laying her eggs. In attacks of the ants, the female flew only briefly and immediately landed again in another place.
The larvae of the species live and develop in nests of ants, e.g. of the Jet Black Ant (Lasius fuliginosus).

References, further reading, links:
  1. Pape T. & Thompson F.C. (eds) (2017). Systema Dipterorum (version 2.0, Jan 2011). In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2017 Annual Checklist (Roskov Y., Abucay L., Orrell T., Nicolson D., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., DeWalt R.E., Decock W., De Wever A., Nieukerken E. van, Zarucchi J., Penev L., eds.). Digital resource at www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2017. Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. ISSN 2405-884X.
  2. Menno Reemer: Veldtabel wapen- en bastvliegen van Nederland (Diptera: Stratiomyidae & Xylomyidae), EIS Kenniscentrum Insecten, 2014
    Englische Textversion:
    Field Key to the Soldierflies of the Netherlands (Diptera: Stratiomyidae & Xylomyidae) by Menno Reemer, 2014 (Text translated and edited for UK use by Jim Middleton and Martin C. Harvey, 2014)