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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Orthorrhapha" (Brachycera excluding Aschiza and Schizophora) » Asiloidea » Bee Flies (Bombyliidae) » Anthracinae » Anthracini » Xenox » Tiger Bee Fly (Xenox tigrinus)

Species Xenox tigrinus - Tiger Bee Fly

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Maybe it wants to mate with its shadow - Xenox tigrinus

Bee Fly - Xenox something? - Xenox tigrinus

Unidentified moth or fly - Xenox tigrinus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

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

Superfamily Asiloidea

Family Bombyliidae (Bee Flies)

Subfamily Anthracinae

Tribe Anthracini

Genus Xenox

Species tigrinus (Tiger Bee Fly)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Nemotelus tigrinus, Anthrax scripta, Anthrax tigrinus/a, Anthrax simson (in part?)

Explanation of Names

Species name tigrinus no doubt refers to the wing pattern.

Size

12-19 mm

Identification

A large Bee Fly with a distinctive wing pattern. Note the large, wrap-around eyes.

References list length as 12-15 mm. An individual measured (alive) in North Carolina was 19 mm.

Range

Widespread in North America.

Does not occur as far west as California. (See this comment by Hartmut Wisch)

Habitat

Open areas, meadows?

Season

Summer, typically late June to September (North Carolina, Georgia)

Food

Unknown. An adult has been observed on damp mud, lapping up fluids (pers. observation, P. Coin).

Life Cycle

Larva is a parasite of Carpenter Bees Xylocopa.

Print References

Arnett, p. 880 (1)

Brimley, p. 341, apparently listed as Anthrax simson (2)

Borror and White, pp. 278-279, pl. 13 (3)

Milne, pp. 662-663 (4)

Swan and Papp, p. 613, fig. 1310 (5)

Internet References

North Carolina State University Entomology Collection

Giff Beaton

Duke Natural History Society

USDA ITIS--gives some synonymns.

ITIS listing for Anthrax/Xenox simson, apparently how this species listed by Brimley (see print references above)

Works Cited

1.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico By Ross H. Arnett

2.	Insects of North Carolina By C.S. Brimley

3.	A Field Guide to Insects By Richard E. White, Donald J. Borror, Roger Tory Peterson

4.	National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders By Lorus and Margery Milne

5.	The Common Insects of North America By Lester A. Swan, Charles S. Papp

Contributed by Cotinis on 18 March, 2004 - 11:48am
Additional contributions by Harsi S. Parker
Last updated 16 July, 2009 - 11:43pm

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