Eriothrix rufomaculata
Male
Female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Tachinidae
Subfamily: Dexiinae
Tribe: Voriini
Genus: Eriothrix
Species:
E. rufomaculata
Binomial name
Eriothrix rufomaculata
(DeGeer, 1776)[1]
Synonyms[2]
List
  • Eriothrix monochaeta Wainwright, 1928
  • Musca demano Harris, 1780
  • Musca dimano Harris, 1780
  • Musca lateralis Donovan, 1792
  • Musca lateralis Fabricius, 1775
  • Musca rufomaculata De Geer, 1776[1]
  • Ocyptera tachinaria Fallen, 1815

Eriothrix rufomaculatus is a fly in the family Tachinidae.[3]

Distribution

This species is present in most of Europe and in European Russia. It can be found in Britain, where it is quite widespread throughout the country. It is also found in Ireland.[4][5]

Habitat

These rather common flies mainly inhabit hedge rows,[6] grasslands or sunny rough ground, meadows, ruderal areas and fields.[7]

Description

Side view

Eriothrix rufomaculatus can reach a length of 5–10 millimetres (0.20–0.39 in) and a wingspan of 13–15 mm.[6] This bristly species shows a greyish thorax with four narrow black stripes and a prominent but quite variable orange patches on the sides of its cylindrical abdomen, separated by a dorsal black line. Its face is silvery, with a protruding mouth edge. The legs are black. Wings are slightly shaded, yellowish at the base. Vein-m is petiolate and costal spine is longer than vein r-m.[7][8][9][10]

Biology

Eriothrix rufomaculatus is a univoltine species. Adults can be found from July to October. They are flower feeders, visiting in particular members of the Umbelliferae (especially Heracleum sphondylium) and Asteraceae. The species is parasitic, the larvae developing inside the subterranean larvae of moths, especially of crambid moths (Chrysoteuchia culmella,[3] Crambidae), tiger moths (Ammobiota festiva, Erebidae), lappet moths (Dendrolimus pini, Lasiocampidae) and ermine moths (Yponomeutidae)).[6][7][11]

References

  1. 1 2 De Geer, C. (1776). Memoires pour servir a l'histoire des insectes. Stockholm: P. Hesselberg. pp. viii + 523 pp., 30 pls.
  2. Catalogue of life
  3. 1 2 BioLib.cz
  4. Fauna Europaea
  5. O’Hara, James E.; Shannon, J. Henderson; D. Monty, Wood (5 March 2020). "World Checklist of the Tachinidae" (PDF). Tachinidae Resources. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 J.K. Lindsey Commanster
  7. 1 2 3 Tachinid Recording Scheme
  8. Chandler, Peter J. (1998). Checklists of Insects of the British Isles (New Series) Part 1: Diptera. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. Vol. 12. London: Royal Entomological Society of London. pp. 1–234. ISBN 0-901546-82-8.
  9. Belshaw, Robert (1993). "Tachinid Flies Diptera Tachinidae". Royal Entomological Society Handbooks. Royal Entomological Society of London. 10 (4ai): 170.
  10. van Emden, F.I. (1954). "Diptera Cyclorrhapha Calyptrata (I) Section (a) Tachinidae & Calliphoridae". Royal Entomological Society Handbooks. Royal Entomological Society of London. 10 (4a): 133.
  11. NBN Atlas
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