Family Tachinidae
There are species with a length of 2 cm, but also of 2 mm. The colours are very
different. Most tachinidae has many bristles. Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachinidae
The larvae develop inside a living host. Mostly
the host will be killed. The host can be a caterpillar, larvae of beetles,
sawflies
etc.
The family Tachinidae is divided in subfamilies.
Namely: Exoristinae, Tachininae, Dexiinae,
Phasiinnae (The biggest subfamily is the first) These subfamilies are divided
in Tribes. The Tribes are divided in genera.
Subfamily Exoristinae
(or Goniinae)
"Oviparous": The female lays
eggs or "Ovo-larviparous": The eggs either hatch inside the body or
immediately after laying.
Not quite sure. It was sunbathing on an euphorbia.
On leaves and flowers.
April - October. Numerous generations.
Host: verschillende leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) but
also Athalia Family sawflies (Symphyta)
Mei - October. Several generations.
They occasionally visit flowers.
About 5, 6 mm.
Host Especially numerous sawflies (Tenthredinidae)
Europa
Comment Jaakko: Just a combination of features: sharp
kink in the m-vein, white hairs behind the head, low "short-legged"
sitting position and small size.
This fly is a parasite especially of caterpillars
of Whites. (family Pieris)
And these caterpillars are in the garden.
In spring on foliage. In summer they visit
flowers.
April - October Two generations
Europe
The caterpillars of a large white eating Annual
Honesty or Silver
Dollar(Lunaria
annua).
This fly was much smaller (8 mm) I thought, it was an other species.
This species varies in size. From 4 to 12 mm. Their size as adults depends
largely on the health of their larval hosts
Photo May 2009.
It is a rather large fly. Slightly larger
than a bluebottle.
On internet you can read about investigations with the Blepharipa pratensis.
Because it is a parasite of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar. A
day active moth. This moth is a pest in North America.
On foliage.
April - July. One ganeration.
A striking fly with a light brown back, and
beautiful eyes.
The antennae are not as long as the antennae of many species.
I
read the larvae parasite the larvae of the cockchafer.
But I have no cockchafer in the garden. I have many Garden
Chafers
(Phyllopertha horticola). They are family. Perhaps....... But I don't know.
Comments: It has large orange patches on
sides of the abdomen.
The larvae are parasitoids of caterpillars of the moth Orthopygia
glaucinalis or Herculia glaucinalis (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) and probably of the moth Ostrinia
nubilalis, Myelois (Pyralidae) Bembecia ichneumoniformis (Sesiidae)
A small fly. About 5
mm.
Spec. because I don't exactly know which species it is. You can't
determine this fly fom a photo.
You can recognize Siphona to its long snout. If
you look closely, you
can see it on the photo.
This fly was very striking that day between the
hoverflies.
It is very easy to recognize by the red back with the black stripe in the
middle and the stiff hairs.
The larva of the Tachina fera feed on caterpillars. The eggs are laid on
the leaves. The larvae move towards their host and get
into their body. After about two weeks, it changes into a fly.
Larvae of other Tachina species parasites on larvae of other insects.
Length: 9 - 16 mm
Tachina magnicornis: The black belt on the
back is wider and wider at the end. (not always)
Subfamily Dexiinae
"Ovo-larviparous": The eggs
either hatch inside the body or immediately after laying.
The larvae are parasitoids of caterpillars of the owlet moth (Noctuidae)
According to Theo Zeegers they are not so common in the Netherlands, but
more often seen in the dune area.
The female lays their eggs on shieldbugs. The main hosts are (Pentatoma
rufipes) and the Green shield bug (Palomena prasina).
This is a female. The male is more colourful and has beautiful curved
patterned wings.
The fly looks like a hoverfly. It misses the bristles
of many other Tachinidae
Length: 12 - 15 mm.
Northern and Southern Europe.
April - September. Two generations.
This is also a parasite of bugs. (It is not known to me which), but this fly is much smaller than the Phasia
Hemiptera. It looks like Phasia pusilla. But Phasia pusilla has dark
halteres. Phasia barbifrons has yellow halteres and a hairy parafrontal (forehead to the eyes.)
The thorax is completely matt-black.
Length: about 4 mm.
Europe.
July to October. Two generations
According Chris Raper: Maybe a slightly teneral Subclytia rotundiventris. The
fly has a gray thorax and orange abdomen. This fly has gray spots. These
spots are usually not so good to see. In the middle of the abdomen on each segment is a dark triangular
spot.
Length: about 4 mm
May - September.
The larvae are parasites of the bugs of the family
True Shieldbugs (Pentatomidae)
and Acanthosomatidae.
Photo
29-8-2010.
Tachinid Family: Tachinidae
Sometimes it is not possible to identify fly
from a photo.
This fly unfortunately has no name.
I want to thank everyone, who has helped me (waarneming.nl)
to identify. In particular, Joke van Erkelens, Robert Heemskerk, Mark van Veen,
Gerard Pennard and Han Endt.
With the determination of Tachinidae I have had
much help from Theo Zeegers and Chris Raper. (On diptera)
I have used information from Dr Hans-Peter Tschorsnig & Benno Herting,
19994. English translation: Rotraud Rayner & Chris Raper, 2001.
Nederlands /
Dutch
