Criorhina - Criorhina kincaidi

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Hover Flies (Syrphidae) » Eristalinae » Milesiini » Criorhinina » Criorhina » Criorhina kincaidi

Photo#1048136

Copyright © 2015 Stephen Hart

Criorhina - Criorhina kincaidi

Glines Canyon Dam, Clallam County, Washington, USA
March 18, 2015

This image shows a Criorhina kincaidi (identified by Kevin Moran) wiping its back. It appeared that a tachinid was attempting to land on or near the Criorhina, and may have annoyed the Criorhina.
The remaining images are in sequence. The syrphid flew to a different catkin and I think the tachinid followed, though it could be a different tachinid.
These photos are all stills shot at 10-15 feet at about 7 fps burst.
The tree is willow, the earliest bloom in the area. At least two other syrphid species, a yellow jacket, dance flies and real bumble bees were also in attendance.

Images of this individual: tag all

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Contributed by Stephen Hart on 19 March, 2015 - 5:08pm
Last updated 22 January, 2018 - 3:44pm

Thanks!

Thanks for posting these pictures.

I think honestly this is not a likely host for the Tachinid here. Tachinidae rarely parasitize Diptera and prefer Hymenoptera and other orders.

More likely scenarios are that the Tachinid mistook it for the bumble bee it parasitizes. Alternatively maybe it just wanted to visit the flower the Syrphid was on. Norm also says that many Tachinidae have sucky eyesight and perhaps it thought it was a female of its species.

Norm Woodley thinks the Tachinid is Epalpus signifer but he says this is very much a guess as he can't really make it out. That species parasitizes Lepidoptera.

Read this overview of Tachinid parasitization.

Edit: To help future identifications, Criorhina kincaidi is distinguishable from the other Criorhina by its unique lack of a anteriorly grey pollinose thorax.

Tachinidae parasitization

… Kevin Moran, 20 March, 2015 - 1:48pm

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