Genus Gonia

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Life Cycle · Internet References

mating flies-what kind? - Gonia - male - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon (Calyptratae)

Superfamily Oestroidea

Family Tachinidae

Subfamily Exoristinae

Tribe Goniini

Genus Gonia

Explanation of Names

Author of genus is Meigen, 1803.

From Greek gonia angle. In vertebrate anatomy, gonion (plural gonia) is the angle of the jaw (Internet searches).

Numbers

27 species in North America listed in the PDF doc by O'Hara and Wood

Size

circa 11 mm (Gonia frontosa)

Life Cycle

Parasitoids of caterpillars, especially Noctuidae (UK Tachinids). Eggs are laid on the caterpillar food plant, and then ingested by the caterpillar (personal communication to user Cotinis, May 2008).

Internet References

taxonomic placement; PDF doc in subfamily Exoristinae, tribe Goniini, plus list of species and synonyms (James O'Hara and Monty Wood, Checklist of Tachinidae of America North of Mexico, 2004)

Insects of Cedar Creek--photos

Stephen Creswell--Gonia frontosa--gives estimate of size

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 19 January, 2005 - 10:52am
Additional contributions by cotinis
Last updated 21 May, 2008 - 12:11pm

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