Dexia rustica

Dexia rustica
Dexia rustica. Dorsal view
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Tachinidae
Subfamily: Dexiinae
Tribe: Dexiini
Genus: Dexia
Species: D. rustica
Binomial name
Dexia rustica
(Fabricius, 1775)
Synonyms[1]

Dexia rustica is a species of fly in the family Tachinidae.[2]

Distribution and habitat

This species can be found in most of Europe.[3] These tachinids usually inhabit hedge rows and flowery environments.[4][5]

Description

Side view

Dexia rustica can reach a body length of 8.4–12.7 millimetres (0.33–0.50 in) and a wingspan of 16–24 mm.[5] These small tachinids have generally a black thorax, with grayish yellow pruinosity. Four longitudinal black vittae appear on dorsum,[6] Abdomen appears greyish-brown or reddish, with a darker longitudinal dorsal marking, more or less evident. It is cylindric-conic, with two setae among each segment. Probocis is short and membranous.[7] Females usually are darker than males.[8][4] Wings are hyaline, with a reddish yellow tegula and a dark brown basicosta. Legs are reddish yellow.[6]

Biology

Adults can be found from June to August,[4][5] feeding on nectar and pollen, especially of Heracleum sphondylium.[5]

Larvae develop in the soil feeding on beetle larvae (endoparasitism),[4] mainly of Melolontha melolontha,[5] Amphimallon solstitialis, Rhizotrogus marginipes[6] and Phyllopertha horticola (Scarabaeidae).[9]

References

  1. ↑ Catalogue of life Catalogue of life
  2. ↑ Biolib
  3. ↑ Fauna europaea
  4. 1 2 3 4 Bob Gibbons Field Guide to Insects of Britain and Northern Europe
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 J.K. Lindsey Commanster
  6. 1 2 3 Chun-Tian Zhang, Xiao-Lin Chen A review of the genus Dexia Meigen in the Palearctic and Oriental Regions Diptera Tachinidae in Zootaxa · December 2010
  7. ↑ John Obadiah Westwood An Introduction to the Modern Classification of Insects Vol II (1840)
  8. ↑ James E. O'Hara, Hiroshi Shima, & Chuntian Zhang. "Annotated Catalogue of the Tachinidae (Insecta: Diptera) of China." Zootaxa 2190 (2009): 1-236.
  9. ↑ Encyclopedia of life


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