Mallophora fautrix
| Mallophora fautrix | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Asilidae |
| Genus: | Mallophora |
| Species: | M. fautrix |
| Binomial name | |
| Mallophora fautrix Osten Sacken, 1887 | |
Mallophora fautrix is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, commonly known as the golden-tailed bee bandit or bee killer robber fly.[1][2][3][4]
Description
An adult M. fautrix is typically in the range of 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) long, with brown wings and a black thorax. The body is otherwise covered with hairs in a pattern of black, white, and yellow that resembles workers of the bumble bee species Bombus sonorus. Male and female adults are similar in appearance.[5]
Taxonomy
Carl Robert Osten-Sacken formally described M. fautrix in 1887, selecting for it a species epithet that is Latin for "patroness or protector."[6]
Distribution
M. fautrix is found in Mexico and the southwestern United States.[3] It is the only member of genus Mallophora found in California. [3]
Behavior
The bee killer robber fly perches in wait for the approach of a suitable prey insect. It eats honey bees, wasps, and other arthropods of similar size.[5]
Eggs of M. fautrix are laid in the ground.[5]
References
- ↑ "Mallophora fautrix species details". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
- ↑ "Mallophora fautrix". GBIF. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
- 1 2 3 "Mallophora fautrix Species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
- ↑ "Mallophora fautrix Overview". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
- 1 2 3 Ewing, Matthew. "Mallophora fautrix". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ "fautrix-fautricis". lationdictionary.io. latindictionary.io. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
Further reading
- Arnett, Ross H. Jr. (2000). American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico (2nd ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-0212-9.
- Bromley, S.W. (1950). "Florida Asilidae (Diptera) with descriptions of one new species". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 43: 227–239.
- Dikow, T. (2009). "Phylogeny of Asilidae inferred from morphological characters of imagines (Insecta, Diptera, Brachycera, Asiloidea)". American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
- Hull, F.M. (1962). "Robber flies of the world". Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 224.
- McAlpine, J.F.; Petersen, B.V.; Shewell, G.E.; Teskey, H.J.; et al. (1987). Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Research Branch Agriculture Canada. ISBN 978-0660121253.
External links
- Dikow, Torsten (2018). "Asiloid Flies, deciphering their diversity and evolutionary history". National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
- "Diptera.info". Retrieved 2018-04-05.
Media related to Mallophora fautrix at Wikimedia Commons