Genus Trichopoda - Feather-legged Flies
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon (Calyptratae)
Superfamily Oestroidea
Family Tachinidae
Subfamily Phasiinae
Genus Trichopoda (Feather-legged Flies)
Other Common Names Hairy-legged Fly Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Trichopoda Berthold, 1827 Explanation of Names From Tricho, Greek, hair plus poda, Greek, foot. (Based on Internet searches.) Numbers There are six North American species in the genus, according to the list at nearctica.com. These include: aurantiaca, indivisa, lanipes, pennipes, plumipes and subdivisa.
Arnett lists six North American species in the genus. (1)Identification Genus of small, brightly-colored tachnid flies that frequent flowers. In at least one species observed in North Carolina (P Coin), the male has a bright orange abdomen while the female has a dark abdomen. Halteres (vestigial hind wings) covered with yellow scales. Distinctive fringe on hind legs can be seen if observed closely. Range North America, South America, other? Habitat Meadows with flowers. Season Spring-early fall. May-October (T. pennipes, North Carolina) Food Adults take nectar. Larvae are parasitoids of true bugs (Hemiptera), including Stink and Squash Bugs (Pentatomidae), and Leaf-footed Bugs (Coreidae). Life Cycle Mating may occur near nectar sources (pers. observation, P. Coin). Females hover over plants that attract their host hemipteran, such as squash. Eggs are typically placed on underside of hemipteran host. Only one larva per host will survive, though more than one egg may be laid on a given host. Newly hatched maggot bores into body of host and feeds on host's fluids for about two weeks. Eventually, it grows to almost the size of the host's body cavity. Maggot emerges at third instar, killing the host, and pupates in soil. Adult fly emerges after about two weeks. There may be about three generations per year in temperate areas. Fly overwinters as second instar larva in the body of the hemipteran host. T. pennipes has "strains" that specialize in a particular host species.
(Details of this account are based on life cycle of T. pennipes, from Midwest Biological Control News, and from Swan and Papp, Common Insects of North America.) Remarks T. pennipes is a widespread species in North America, and has been used for biological control of stink and squash bugs.
Saved Comments:
Detailed description
of life cycle and morphology of T. pennipes in Psyche (1924).
Of particular interest: "Two characters were found by which the sex of living flies can be determined without undue handling. These are the ferrugineous spot in the wing of the male as against the evenly dusky wing of the female, and the black tip of the female abdomen as against the dark orange of that of the male."
May be of some assistance in developing order to our chaos.
… Steve Scott, 16 December, 2007 - 9:09am See Also other brightly-colored tachinids such as Gymnosoma, Cylindromyia, XanthomelanodesPrint References Photos of T. pennipes and subdivisa are in Milne and Milne. (2)
Photo of T. indivisa is in Arnett and Jacques. (3)
T. pennipes and plumipes are illustrated in Swan and Papp, who also give detailed life history. (4)
Brimley, p. 357, lists T. formosa, T. lanipes, T. pennipes, T. plumipes and T. radiata for North Carolina. (5)Internet References Cornell University--life history, use as biological control agent
The collection at North Carolina State University lists from that state, with number pinned: pennipes (35), lanipes (76), and plumipes (26).
Works Cited | 3. | Simon & Schuster's Guide to Insects
By Dr. Ross H. Arnett, Dr. Richard L. Jacques |  |
| 4. | The Common Insects of North America
By Lester A. Swan, Charles S. Papp | |
|
