Species Archytas apicifer

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Range · Habitat · Food · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Tachinidae Fly - Archytas apicifer - female

Archytas apicifer is my guess - Archytas apicifer

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon (Calyptratae)

Superfamily Oestroidea

Family Tachinidae

Subfamily Tachininae

Tribe Tachinini

Genus Archytas

Species apicifer (Archytas apicifer)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Archytas apicifer (Walker)

Size

10 to 15 mm

Range

Throughout U.S. and Canada. Also southwards into South America.

Habitat

Adults often found on flowers. Larva are parasitoids of noctuid moths.

Food

See habitat.

Remarks

Larval-pupal endoparasitic fly, hosts include the Corn Earworm (Helicoverpa zea Boddie), and the Tomato Fruitworm (Helicoverpa armigera Hübner)(1).

Ravlin and Stehr (1984) list the following as hosts: pearly underwing (Peridroma saucia) and the armyworms Mythimna unipuncta, Spodoptera frugiperda, and Spodoptera ornithogalli. The hosts listed above (Helicoverpa) probably refer to Archytas marmoratus (Townsend).

Print References

Ravlin, F.W. and F.W. Stehr. 1984. Revision of the genus Archytas (Diptera: Tachinidae) for America north of Mexico. Miscellaneous Publications of the Entomological Society of America, 58: 1-60.

Internet References

Photo on insectimages

Specimen photo & some information: ACORN (Purdue Univ. Alternative Control Outreach Research Network)

Works Cited

1.	Natural Enemies Handbook By Mary Louise Flint and Steve H. Dreistadt

Contributed by Hartmut Wisch on 13 November, 2006 - 11:42pm
Additional contributions by Brad Barnd
Last updated 27 December, 2007 - 2:24pm

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