| Stomorhina lunata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Rhiniidae |
| Genus: | Stomorhina |
| Species: | S. lunata |
| Binomial name | |
| Stomorhina lunata | |
| Synonyms | |
Stomorhina selgaeLehrer, 1979 | |
Stomorhina lunata is a species of fly in the family Rhiniidae first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1805. [2]
This species is present in most of Europe, the Afrotropical realm, the eastern Palearctic realm, the Near East and North Africa, the Indomalayan realm, and the Nearctic realm. [3] These flies usually inhabit meadows.
Stomorhina lunata can reach a length of 5–9 millimetres (0.20–0.35 in) and a wingspan of 13–16 millimetres (0.51–0.63 in). [4] These distinctive, medium-sized blowflies are rather similar to the house flies, but they have a characteristic prominent proboscis, a longitudinally striped thorax and an abdomen with yellow and black bands. Males have large orange patches on the sides of tergites 3 and 4, while females only show grey dust patches. [5]
This distinctively marked species is often misidentified because of the unusual band pattern in the abdomen, typical of hoverflies.
Stomorhina lunata is an important egg predator of some major African agricultural pests, the South African brown locust (Locustana pardalina), the more widespread desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), and the migratory locust (Locustana migratoria). [5] [6] [7]
Adults are migratory and are present from July to October. They can usually be found feeding on nectar and pollen of umbellifer flowers (Apiaceae) and of Asteraceae species (mainly Scorzoneroides autumnalis , Tanacetum vulgare , Anthriscus sylvestris , Erysimum cheiranthoides , Filipendula ulmaria ). [4] [5]
The Niger Armed Forces (FAN) includes military armed force service branches, paramilitary services branches and the National Police. The Niger Army, Niger Air Force and the National Gendarmerie of Niger are under the Ministry of Defense whereas the National Guard of Niger and the National Police fall under the command of the Ministry of Interior. With the exception of the National Police, all military and paramilitary forces are trained in military fashion. The President of Niger is the supreme commander of the entire armed forces.
Locusts are a group of certain species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they become more abundant and change their behaviour and habits, becoming gregarious. No taxonomic distinction is made between locust and grasshopper species; the basis for the definition is whether a species forms swarms under intermittently suitable conditions.
The migratory locust is the most widespread locust species, and the only species in the genus Locusta. It occurs throughout Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. It used to be common in Europe but has now become rare there. Because of the vast geographic area it occupies, which comprises many different ecological zones, numerous subspecies have been described. However, not all experts agree on the validity of some of these subspecies.
The Queen of Spain fritillary is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Libellula depressa, the broad-bodied chaser or broad-bodied darter, is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe and central Asia. It is very distinctive with a very broad flattened abdomen, four wing patches and, in the male, the abdomen becomes pruinose blue.
The Curtotonidae or quasimodo flies are a small family of small grey to dark brown humpbacked flies (Diptera) with a worldwide distribution, but with very few species in the Nearctic, Australasian/Oceanian, and Palaearctic regions. Most members of the family are found in tropical to subtropical latitudes in Africa and the Neotropics. Many remain undescribed in collections, since little work on the family has been done since the 1930s.
The Gendarmerie Nationale is the national paramilitary police force of Niger. One of two paramilitary police units of the nation, the Gendarmerie Nationale is modeled on the Gendarmerie of former colonial power, France. Its purpose is to provide police protection outside of urban areas, patrolled by the National Police . The Gendarmerie Nationale is a centrally controlled 3,700 member paramilitary police force that provides policing outside those jurisdictions policed by the Police Nationale, usually smaller towns and rural areas. It is uniformed, ranked and trained in military fashion.
The scissor-tailed kite, also known as African swallow-tailed kite or fork-tailed kite, is a bird of prey in the monotypic genus Chelictinia in the family Accipitridae. It is widespread in the northern tropics of Africa.
Tabanus bromius, sometimes called the band-eyed brown horsefly, is a species of biting horseflies.
Tachina grossa or giant tachinid fly is a very large tachinid fly.
Scaeva pyrastri, common name the pied hoverfly, is a species of hoverfly.
Scaeva selenitica is a species of hoverfly.
Sphaerophoria scripta, the long hoverfly, is a species of hoverfly belonging to the family Syrphidae.
The African rice grasshopper, Hieroglyphus daganensis is a medium-sized grasshopper species found in the Sahel region. Although not called a locust in English, this species shows gregarious behaviour and some morphological change on crowding and may become a moderately important pest species for small-holder farmers in the region.
Meloe violaceus, the violet oil beetle, is a species of oil beetle belonging to the family Meloidae subfamily Meloinae.
Lomatia belzebul is a species of 'bee flies' belonging to the family Bombyliidae subfamily Lomatiinae.
Chloromyia formosa is a species of soldier flies belonging to the family Stratiomyidae. Another name for it is Broad centurion.
Locusta migratoria migratorioides, commonly known as the African migratory locust, is a subspecies of the migratory locust family Acrididae.
Ichneumon sarcitorius is a species of wasp belonging to the family Ichneumonidae subfamily Ichneumoninae.
The Cyrtacanthacridinae are a subfamily of Orthoptera: Caelifera in the family Acrididae. They are sometimes referred-to as bird locusts, criquets voyageurs in French-speaking Africa, and Knarrschrecken in German.
Data related to Stomorhina lunata at Wikispecies
Media related to Stomorhina lunata at Wikimedia Commons