Parasitoids - Pseudogaurax signatus - BugGuide.Net

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Photo#41343

Copyright © 2006 Jeff Hollenbeck

Parasitoids - Pseudogaurax signatus -

Weirsdale, Ocala, Lake Wales, Marion and Polk County, Florida, USA
Size: 2 mm

Preserved specimens. Colors are normal.
Placed this image on what I believe is the proper family, but left the others in ID request because I am unsure of genus and species.

The maggots are often found eating the eggs of Phidippus clarus in areas where the flies and clarus are abundant.
At the two sites, P. regius and audax egg sacs were not parasitized, only the clarus. The audax and regius sacs were more concealed, though.

Images of this individual: tag all

Parasitoids - Pseudogaurax signatus - male - female

Parasitoids - Pseudogaurax signatus - male - female

Fly pupae in egg sac - Pseudogaurax signatus

Fly pupae in egg sac - Pseudogaurax signatus

Contributed by Jeff Hollenbeck on 21 January, 2006 - 8:50am
Last updated 22 May, 2012 - 3:09pm

Moved

Moved from Parasitic Chloropid Fly.

… Brad Barnd, 22 May, 2012 - 3:09pm

Pseudogaurax signatus

Another useful rearing record of P. signatus from Phidippus.

… Terry Wheeler, 22 May, 2012 - 10:45am

Family Chloropidae, genus Pseudogaurax!

Hello Jeff,
These are not thick-headed flies, but they belong to the family Chloropidae, so the Frit flies! One of the characteristics of this family is the big ocellair plate on top of the head, which is very good visible on the fly in the middle of the picture.
This is very interesting, because most species in this family are phytophagous. There are some that feed on other stuff, and even some that are predacious and feed on eggs in a wide variety of egg sacs (spiders, Lymantrid moths and mantids), just as this one.
So this one belongs to the genus Pseudogaurax, of which there are 3 species in Southern USA!
Greetings,
Gerard Pennards

… Gerard Pennards, 22 January, 2006 - 5:57am

Great

I missed this when it was posted—what a great bit of natural history. I'll have to start watching spider egg sacs now!

… Stephen_WV, 1 October, 2006 - 9:58am

Thank you

for the ID and info, Gerard.

… Jeff Hollenbeck, 22 January, 2006 - 1:39pm

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