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Family Tachinidae - Parasitic Flies

Metallic blue/black spike tailed fly - Archytas satiny fly - Trichopoda lanipes - male orange tachinid fly - Leskia similis - male Fly 100614 ID - Juriniopsis adusta chestnut and black fly - Peleteria Tachinidae - Adejeania vexatrix Chetogena? - Chetogena Gonia - Epalpus signifer - female
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon (Calyptratae)
Superfamily Oestroidea
Family Tachinidae (Parasitic Flies)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
current taxonomy in (1)
Explanation of Names
Tachinidae Robineau-Desvoidy 1830
Numbers
Second largest dipteran family (after Tipulidae), with ~1350 spp. in >300 genera of 4 subfamilies in our area(1) and ~8600 spp. in almost 1500 genera total; estmated diversty may be twice as big(2)(3)
Overview of our fauna
* –taxa not yet in the guide; classification adapted from (1)(4)
Family Tachinidae
SUBFAMILY DEXIINAE
SUBFAMILY EXORISTINAE
SUBFAMILY PHASIINAE
SUBFAMILY TACHININAE
Tribe Ormiini Ormia
Identification
Many look similar to muscids and flesh flies. Subscutellum is a useful character:
Range
worldwide and throughout NA
Food
larval hosts: insects from 11 orders and a few other arthropods (myriapods, spiders, scorpions)(2)(7); adults may take nectar
Life Cycle
Current knowledge summarized in (2). Most hibernate in the pupal stage.
Larvae are parasitoids of other arthropods. Some tachinids are very host-specific, others use a wide variety of hosts. Some tachinids deposit eggs directly on the host; caterpillars with several tachinid eggs on them are not uncommon. Upon hatching the larva usually burrows into its host. Full-grown larva leaves the host and pupates nearby. Some tachinids lay eggs on foliage; the larvae are flat and called planidia. • Tachinids lay eggs in a variety of ways: place a few on host; scatter many in an area frequented by hosts; lay on leaves by host larvae. The eggs have a tough shell and can remain viable for weeks until ingested by host. Some deposit newly hatched larvae on leaves, logs, or soil where larvae search for host. Such larvae have 2 false legs, long cerci, and thick cuticle to prevent desiccation. Once inside the host they turn into legless maggots. Tachinids that parasitize beetles have elaborate abdominal segments that help snatch the host in flight and pierce the cuticle.
Eggs larvae puparium • Examples of eggs on hosts
Remarks
At least 16 species have been introduced as biological controls (Grenier 1988)
Internet References
(8)