Genus Megaphorus

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon ("Orthorrhapha" (Brachycera excluding Aschiza and Schizophora))

Superfamily Asiloidea

Family Asilidae (Robber Flies)

Subfamily Asilinae

Genus Megaphorus

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Most (or all?) species originally placed under Mallophora.

Explanation of Names

Author of genus is Curran, 1931 (Charles Howard Curran, 1894–1972, Canadian, see French Wikipedia).

Apparently from Greek mega- large, plus phora- (Latinized to phorus?), bearing, bringing (1). Species were formerly placed in Mallophora, which means hair- or wool-bearing. Perhaps Megaphora is a reference to the leaf-cutter bee Megachile, which the robber flies resemble.

Numbers

ITIS lists 13 species

Size

8-10mm and larger

Identification

Small, hairy robber flies that resemble, at first glance, Leaf-cutter Bees, Megachilidae.

Life Cycle

Eggs (at least in Megaphorus minutus) are laid in a mass on the stem of a plant, such as a stiff blade of grass:

This unusual (for an Asilid) egg-laying habit is shared with the related genus Mallophora (Herschel Raney--see this page). Certain Mallophora are reported to be parasitoids of scarab beetles, and the unusual egg-laying habit is thought to aid in the dispersal of tiny larvae in search of hosts. Given the similarity of egg-laying habits in at least some species of the two genera, it seems likely that Megaphorus is also a parasitoid of ground-dwelling insect larvae. See Mallophora account for more information.

Print References

Borror, entries for mega, phoro (1)

Internet References

Herschel Raney

Works Cited

1.	Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms By Donald J. Borror

Contributed by Beatriz Moisset on 29 May, 2005 - 8:01am
Additional contributions by cotinis
Last updated 18 July, 2008 - 12:35pm

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