Zophomyia temula

Zophomyia temula is a species of fly in the family Tachinidae.[1][2][3]

Zophomyia temula
Zophomyia temula
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Diptera
Family:
Tachinidae
Subfamily:
Tachininae
Tribe:
Ernestiini
Genus:
Zophomyia
Species:
Z. temula
Binomial name
Zophomyia temula
(Scopoli, 1763)
Synonyms

Distribution

This rather common species has a European distribution,[4] and includes Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan and South Siberia.[5]

Habitat

These flies preferably inhabit meadows, woodland, hedge rows and moist environments and they can usually be found in the grass and on low-hanging leaves.[6]

Description
Mating couple

Zophomyia temula can reach a body length of approximately 8–10.5 millimetres (0.31–0.41 in),[7][6] with a wingspan of 15–17 mm.[7]

These fliies are shiny black on thorax and abdomen. Also legs and hairs are completery black, including the small setulae on the back of the head. This feature is quite unusual in the family Tachinidae. Moreovers the eyes are not so big and they are only sparsely haired.[5] The body is quite slim and slightly elongated. The legs are relatively long and heavily hairy.[6] The wings are mostly hyaline, but they are markedly yellow-orange at the base.

This species is rather similar to Mesembrina meridiana, belonging to the Muscidae family, characterized by a larger size and by the typical round shape of the true fly.

Biology

Adults can be found from April to August, feeding on nectar and pollen of flowers, especially of Heracleum sphondylium.[7] Larvae are parasitoids, living literally into their hosts, until they die. The specific hosts are unknown.[6]

References
  1. Chandler, Peter J. (1998). Checklists of Insects of the British Isles (New Series) Part 1: Diptera. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. New Series. 12. London: Royal Entomological Society of London. pp. 1–234. ISBN 0-901546-82-8.
  2. Belshaw, Robert (1993). "Tachinid Flies Diptera Tachinidae". Royal Entomological Society Handbooks. Royal Entomological Society of London. 10 (4ai): 170.
  3. van Emden, F.I. (1954). "Ditera Cyclorrhapha Calyptrata (I) Section (a) Tachinidae & Calliphoridae". Royal Entomological Society Handbooks. Royal Entomological Society of London. 10 (4a): 133.
  4. Fauna Europaea
  5. Farnaz Seyyedi SAHEBARI, Samad KHAGHANINIA and Joachim ZIEGLER A contribution to the knowledge of the tachinid flies of the subfamily Tachininae (Diptera, Tachinidae) in northwestern Iran
  6. Danmarks Fugle og Natur (in Danish)
  7. James K. Lindsey The Ecology of Commanster
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