Villa modesta

Villa modesta is a species of fly in the family Bombyliidae. The larvae may feed on larvae of Lepidoptera.

Villa modesta
Vila modesta female
Vila modesta male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Diptera
Family:
Bombyliidae
Genus:
Villa
Species:
V. modesta
Binomial name
Villa modesta
Meigen, 1820

Distribution

Villa modesta can be found in June to September in coastal dune areas throughout mainland Europe, in Britain and to the north in Norway.[1][2][3]

Description

Villa modesta is a fairly large fly, the body length is 10–14 mm. The body is brown. The female has pale bands on tergites 2,3 and 4. The male does not have bands but has tufts of hair at the end of the abdomen and at the base of the wings. The wings are transparent with a narrow brown front margin.

Behaviour

Like many other bombyliids, the eggs are flicked by the adult females toward dark holes. The females may be found hovering near a dark hole in the sand shooting eggs. An animation, 6 times retarded, is given here.

Villa modesta shooting an egg into a hole

Every now and then the females are rubbing the abdomen in the sand in a small circular movement. Sand is necessary to make the eggs less tacky. To this end the females do have a sand chamber.[4] An animation is given here.

Villa modesta female filling the sand chamber

Courtship

The males have a choice between two strategies to gain access to a female. The males may search through the vegetation for females. When a female has been found the male will go into a hovering state near the female as given in this animation.

Villa modesta courtship. Female is present in the lower right.

The males may also choose a sit and wait strategy, sitting in the sand and chasing after passing females.

References
  1. Stubbs, A. & Drake, M. (2014). British Soldierflies and Their Allies: A Field Guide to the Larger British Brachycera. British Entomological & Natural History Society. pp. 528 pp.
  2. http://www.faunaeur.org/distribution_table.php
  3. Falck M. (2009) : The Norwegian species of Villa Lioy 1864 (Diptera, Bombyliidae). Norwegian Journal of Entomology 15 December 2009.
  4. Yeates D.K. (1994) : The cladistics and classification of the Bombyliidae (Diptera : Asiloidea). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 219. AMNH, New York, NY, USA.
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