Mydas chrysostomus
| Mydas chrysostomus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Mydidae |
| Genus: | Mydas |
| Species: | M. chrysostomus |
| Binomial name | |
| Mydas chrysostomus Osten Sacken, 1874 | |
Mydas chrysostomus is a species of mydas fly in the family Mydidae. It is a large, wasp-mimicking fly characterized by a black body, orange-yellow abdominal markings, and clubbed antennae.
Description
M. chrysostomus is a fly with a jet-black body and a wingspan of approximately 2 inches. It has golden-orange spots on the legs and a distinctive orange-yellow half-band on the abdomen. Like other members of the family Mydidae, it has elongate, four-segmented clubbed antennae and enlarged hind femora bearing numerous spines.[1]
Lifecycle
Females lay eggs in the soil by inserting the tip of their abdomen into the ground. The larvae are soil-dwelling predators that feed on other insect larvae, particularly beetle larvae. Pupae develop below the soil surface and emerge with the aid of strong spines before the adult fly emerges during the warmest part of the day.[1]
Distribution
Mydas flies occur worldwide, although the family contains fewer than 400 described species. Fifty-one species have been reported from North America, with most occurring in the western part of the continent.[1]
Mydas chrysostomus has been recorded over 256 times within the southern United States.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 "Mydas Fly - Galveston County Master Gardeners". Galveston County Master Gardeners. Archived from the original on 2025-08-21. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ Registry-Migration.Gbif.Org (2023), GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, GBIF Secretariat, doi:10.15468/39OMEI, retrieved 2026-06-04