Dipalta

Dipalta
Dipalta sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Suborder: Brachycera
Infraorder: Asilomorpha
Superfamily: Asiloidea
Family: Bombyliidae
Subfamily: Anthracinae
Tribe: Exoprosopini
Genus: Dipalta
Osten Sacken, 1877
Type species
Dipalta serpentina
Osten Sacken, 1877[1]

Dipalta is a genus of flies belonging to the family Bombyliidae (bee-flies). The genus is closely related to Villa[1]

Description

These medium-sized flies, with conical faces, have three marginal wing cells on mottled wings with erratic wing veination. Wing length is 10-13 mm, and body length is 9-10 mm. The species are very variable; Hull suggests there could be other species, or only one very variable one.[1]

Distribution

One species is from Mexico and the western United States. and the other from Virginia and Ohio.[1]

Ecology

Adults are found on low growing flowers in desert areas. Larvae are parasitic on ant lions.[1]


Species

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hull, F.M. (1973). Bee flies of the world. The genera of the family Bombyliidae. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press. pp. 687 pp. ISBN 0-87474-131-9.
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