Xenox tigrinus egg and larva - Xenox tigrinus Central, Pickens County, South Carolina, USA July 19, 2020 Size: 1.5 mm
The female has a special pouch she fills with "dirt" at the end of her abdomen. Each egg is coated with this material as it is laid. Eggs are laid with a fully formed 1st instar larva already inside.
Gerling, D., and H. Hermann. 1976. The oviposition and life cycle of Anthrax tigrinus, [Dipt.: Bombyliidae] a parasite of carpenter bees [Hym.: Xylocopidae]. Entomophaga 21: 227–233. Low quality scan available at https://www.tau.ac.il/lifesci/departments/zoology/members/gerling/documents/29.pdf
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Contributed by Mike Ferro on 22 July, 2020 - 10:06am |