Genus Trichopoda - Feather-legged Flies

Hairy-legged Fly

Trichopoda Berthold 1827

6 spp. (one of doubtful status) in 2 subgenera in our area(1)

5-13 mm

Sexes dimorphic (e.g. abdomen orange in males vs dark or dark-tipped in females). Halteres covered with yellow scales. Distinctive fringe on hind tibiae:

"Hind tibia with dorsal longitudinal row of long flattened blade-like setae, each as long as width of tibia at its point of attachment, flanked by a second row of similarly shaped but much shorter setae." (2)

New World, Palaearctic, Australasia(3); in our area, most of the US, with 2 eastern spp. reaching ON; one sp. restricted to CA(1)

hosts: mostly true bugs (Heteroptera: Coreidae, Pentatomidae, Scutelleridae, Largidae)(1)

Life history of T. pennipes and T. plumipes in Swan & Papp(4).

Mating may occur near nectar sources (P. Coin, pers. observation). Females hover over plants that attract their hosts (e.g., squash). Eggs are typically laid on underside of host. Only one larva per host will survive, though more than one egg may be laid on a given host. Newly hatched maggot bores into body of host and feeds on host's fluids for about two weeks. Eventually, it grows to almost the size of the host's body cavity. Maggot emerges at III instar, killing the host, and pupates in soil. Adult emerges in ~2 weeks. Second instar larva overwinters in the host's body.

T. pennipes has been used to control of stink and squash bugs.

Said to be mimics of bees. Missouri Department of Conservation's Field Guide says:

"Feather-legged flies are bee mimics, right down to an imitation "pollen basket" on the hind legs, made of a featherlike fringe of hairs."

In America north of Mexico the subgenera can be distinguished by color, with Galactomyia having darker legs and more extensive wing markings than Trichopoda.(5)

Cylindromyia · Xanthomelanodes