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Genus Gymnosoma

Fly - Gymnosoma Unknown fly - Gymnosoma A Tachinidae fly to identify, please - Gymnosoma - female Tachinid - Gymnosoma Gymnosoma Tiny Tachinid Fly - Gymnosoma Tiny Tachinid Fly - Gymnosoma Is it Gymnosoma? - Gymnosoma
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon (Calyptratae)
Superfamily Oestroidea
Family Tachinidae
Subfamily Phasiinae
Genus Gymnosoma
Explanation of Names
Author of genus is Meigen, 1803. From Greek gymno naked, plus soma, body, likely referring to the lack of hair on abdomen (Internet searches).
Numbers
Nearctica.com and Arnett (1) list six species in genus for North America:
Gymnosoma amplifrons Brooks 1946
Gymnosoma canadense Brooks 1946
Gymnosoma filiola Loew 1872
Gymnosoma fuliginosum Robineau-Desvoidy 1830
Gymnosoma occidentale Curran 1927
Gymnosoma par Walker 1849
Size
Circa 8-10 mm
Identification
Small, brightly colored Tachinids that visit flowers. Sean McCann points out this fly might mimic the nymph of certain stink bugs:
Range
Includes eastern North America.
Habitat
Found on flowers in fields, roadsides.
Season
May-August (Minnesota). North Carolina: April-November (lower elevations), May-September (mountains).
Food
Adults take nectar.
Life Cycle
Eggs are laid on adult and larval stink bugs and shield bugs Pentatomidae (2).
See Also
other brightly-colored tachinids such as Trichopoda
Print References
Arnett, p. 912 (1)
Eaton and Kaufman, pp. 308-309 (2)
Brimley, p. 357, lists just G. fulginosa for North Carolina (3)
Internet References
North Carolina State University Entomology Collection lists three species for that state, with number pinned: canadense (3), fulginsum (75, i.e., fulginosa), par (20).
Insects of Cedar Creek: Tachinidae, G. fulginosa