| Tachina casta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tachina casta. Female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Tachinidae |
| Genus: | Tachina |
| Species: | T. casta |
| Binomial name | |
| Tachina casta (Rondani, 1859) | |
Tachina casta is a species of fly in the genus Tachina of the family Tachinidae. [1] [2] [3]
This species can be found in such European countries as Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, (including Sicily), North Macedonia, and Spain. [4]
Tachina casta can reach a body length of about 15 mm (0.59 in). [5] These flies are red or orange fire coloured, including antennae. Femurs, tibiae and tarsi are yellow-orange. The back of the abdomen has a black longitudinal median band ending in a point at tergite tergite 5. The lateral sector of the scutum and the post-pronotum are black. Post-pronotal (humerus), post-alar callus, lateral margins of the scutum, and pleural sclerites of the thorax are entirely or mostly orange-red. They show 2 intra-alar postsutural setae, 4-8 marginal bristles on tergite 3 and 18-30 bristles on tergite 4. [5] [6]
Adults of Tachina casta feed on pollen. Their larvae are parasites of larvae of other insects, usually moths. They lay eggs on plants and the larvae move in the hope of finding a caterpillar and piercing its skin. If they succeed, they will feed on it and will pupate. Consequently, they are good regulators of larvae of some species of moths, that seriously harm some plants. [5]
Caterpillars are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera.
The cinnabar moth is a brightly coloured arctiid moth found as a native species in Europe and western and central Asia then east across the Palearctic to Siberia to China. It has been introduced into New Zealand, Australia and North America to control ragwort, on which its larvae feed. The moth is named after the red mineral cinnabar because of the red patches on its predominantly black wings. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Cinnabar moths are about 20 mm (0.79 in) long and have a wingspan of 32–42 mm (1.3–1.7 in).
Manduca sexta is a moth of the family Sphingidae present through much of the Americas. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1763 Centuria Insectorum.
The Phoridae are a family of small, hump-backed flies resembling fruit flies. Phorid flies can often be identified by their escape habit of running rapidly across a surface rather than taking to the wing. This behaviour is a source of one of their alternate names, scuttle fly. Another vernacular name, coffin fly, refers to Conicera tibialis. About 4,000 species are known in 230 genera. The most well-known species is cosmopolitan Megaselia scalaris. At 0.4 mm in length, the world's smallest fly is the phorid Euryplatea nanaknihali.
Manduca quinquemaculata, the five-spotted hawkmoth, is a brown and gray hawk moth of the family Sphingidae. The caterpillar, often referred to as the tomato hornworm, can be a major pest in gardens; they get their name from a dark projection on their posterior end and their use of tomatoes as host plants. Tomato hornworms are closely related to the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta. This confusion arises because caterpillars of both species have similar morphologies and feed on the foliage of various plants from the family Solanaceae, so either species can be found on tobacco or tomato leaves. Because of this, the plant on which the caterpillar is found does not indicate its species.
The Asilidae are the robber fly family, also called assassin flies. They are powerfully built, bristly flies with a short, stout proboscis enclosing the sharp, sucking hypopharynx. The name "robber flies" reflects their expert predatory habits; they feed mainly or exclusively on other insects and, as a rule, they wait in ambush and catch their prey in flight.
This glossary of entomology describes terms used in the formal study of insect species by entomologists.
The Agromyzidae are a family commonly referred to as the leaf-miner flies, for the feeding habits of their larvae, most of which are leaf miners on various plants.
Rhingia campestris is a species of hoverfly, 7–11 millimetres (0.3–0.4 in) long, with a wingspan of 12–18 mm (0.5–0.7 in). It is common across the Palearctic from March until November. It has a broad orange abdomen with a black line along the sides, and has the distinctive long snout of all Rhingia species. Rhingia campestris is the main pollinator for many plant species and due to its long snout it can forage on tubulous flowers. Larvae are associated with cow dung. Adults males feed on nectar, while adult females feed on protein rich pollen, reflecting the cost of developing eggs.
Tachina grossa or giant tachinid fly is a very large tachinid fly.
Tachina fera is a species of fly in the genus Tachina of the family Tachinidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761.
Eudocima homaena is a moth of the family Erebidae first described by Jacob Hübner in 1816. It is found in the Indian subregion, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Taiwan, the Nicobars, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, the Philippines and on Christmas Island. It is a major pest on orange plants.
Dipteran morphology differs in some significant ways from the broader morphology of insects. The Diptera is a very large and diverse order of mostly small to medium-sized insects. They have prominent compound eyes on a mobile head, and one pair of functional, membraneous wings, which are attached to a complex mesothorax. The second pair of wings, on the metathorax, are reduced to halteres. The order's fundamental peculiarity is its remarkable specialization in terms of wing shape and the morpho-anatomical adaptation of the thorax – features which lend particular agility to its flying forms. The filiform, stylate or aristate antennae correlate with the Nematocera, Brachycera and Cyclorrhapha taxa respectively. It displays substantial morphological uniformity in lower taxa, especially at the level of genus or species. The configuration of integumental bristles is of fundamental importance in their taxonomy, as is wing venation. It displays a complete metamorphosis, or holometabolous development. The larvae are legless, and have head capsules with mandibulate mouthparts in the Nematocera. The larvae of "higher flies" (Brachycera) are however headless and wormlike, and display only three instars. Pupae are obtect in the Nematocera, or coarcate in Brachycera.
Cylindromyia interrupta is a species of fly in the family Tachinidae.
Cylindromyia brassicaria is a species of fly in the family Tachinidae.
Cylindromyia bicolor is a European species of fly in the family Tachinidae.
Tribolium is a genus of flour beetles in the family Tenebrionidae. They are known by various common names including flour beetles, flour weevils, red weevils and bran bugs.
The Chloropidae are a family of flies commonly known as frit flies or grass flies. About 2000 described species are in over 160 genera distributed worldwide. These are usually very small flies, yellow or black and appearing shiny due to the virtual absence of any hairs. The majority of the larvae are phytophagous, mainly on grasses, and can be major pests of cereals. However, parasitic and predatory species are known. A few species are kleptoparasites. Some species in the genera Hippelates and Siphunculina are called eye gnats or eye flies for their habit of being attracted to eyes. They feed on lachrymal secretions and other body fluids of various animals, including humans, and are of medical significance.
Dermestes ater is a species of beetle in the family Dermestidae, the skin beetles. It is known commonly as the black larder beetle or incinerator beetle. It is native to North America, but today it is found nearly worldwide. Like several other dermestid beetles, this species is a common pest of stored products.
Blera flukei, the Red-cheeked Wood Fly, is a rare species of syrphid fly first officially described by Curran, 1953 as Cynorhina flukei. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are of the rat-tailed type, feeding on exuding sap or in the rot holes of trees.
