Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Rhipiphorus (widely used unjustified emendation), Rhipidophorus (unjustified emendation), Dorthesia Say 1823, Myodes Latreille 1818, Myodites Latreille 1819
genus badly needs revision
Explanation of Names
Greek 'fan-bearer' (refers to male antennae)
Numbers
~30 spp. in our area, ~70 total
(1)Identification
elytra very short (look like large tegula); wings long, exposed
Male antennae
biflabellate with the rami of roughly equal size on all antennomeres
Female antennae monoflabellate, often tapering markedly towards apex
Habitat
Females on vegetation/flowers; males around host colonies waiting for emerging females
(1)Food
Larvae are parasites of ground-nesting bees
(1); in CA, mainly
Nomia and
Diadasia(2)Life Cycle
Females lay eggs on flowers (often on buds). Eggs hatch into active first stadium larvae (triungulins) which hitch a ride on bees to their nests where they feed on the brood: first as internal parasites, and later in their development as external parasites --a habit otherwise almost unknown in Coleoptera.
(2) Adults are very short-lived: in many species the males last less than a day; females may be similarly short-lived but tend to emerge over a longer period.
Remarks
Females are more commonly seen than males because they visit flowers to deposit eggs
Print References
Wheeler A.J. (1997) Notes on mating behavior of
Rhipiphorus luteipennis (Coleoptera: Rhipiphoridae) (
Full text)
Linsley E.G., MacSwain J.W. (1950). New western species of Rhipiphoridae (Coleoptera). Wasmann J. Biol. 8: 229-239. (
Full text)
Pierce W.D. (1920) Studies in the genus
Myodites Latreille (Coleoptera, Rhipiphoridae). (
Full text)