An Australian stiletto fly (Diptera: Therevidae) parasitised by a bee fly (Diptera: Bombyliidae)

Abstract

Exechohypopion therephaga sp. nov. (Bombyliidae) emerged from the pupa of Parapsilocephala ambocerina sp. nov. (Therevidae) collected near Wentworth, New South Wales, Australia. The adults, pupae and mature larvae of the bombyliid and therevid are described and illustrated. Because the therevid host was collected from soil as a larva, the first instar bombyliid planidium is presumed to attach to the therevid in the larval stage. This is the second known record of a therevid being parasitised. Both known cases occurred in Australia and involved a bombyliid parasitoid.

Keywords :

• Therevidae
• Bombyliidae
• parasitism
• internal parasitoid
• Parapsilocephala ambocerina sp. nov.
• Exechohypopion therephaga sp. nov.