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Tanglewing Flies
View more pictures: Bing Images Google Images Yahoo Images Common names: Tanglewing Flies, Tangle-Veined Flies Scientific name: Trichopsidea sp Region: Throughout North America Life cycle: One brood per year. Emerges from the host and overwinters in the soil. It pupates the following spring. Physical Description: The adults are black, with dense yellow hair. No distinct bands or marking on the abdomen. They are .25 to .4 inches long. The Eggs are laid in cracks in fence posts and other upright objects in huge numbers (up to 1000 in fifteen minutes). Feeding characteristics: The adults are nectar and pollen feeders. When the eggs hatch, they are scattered in the wind. They attached themselves to the Grasshopper, and bore into the abdomen. It forms a breathing tube attached to the host's tracheal system. Grasshopper populations have been observed to suffer drastic reduction after a severe attacking by these parasites. Return from Tanglewing Flies to Insects Q-T Encyclopedia of Garden Insects |
