Posted by Amir on 01-12-2008 01:00
#1
Location: Israel
Habitat: send dunes
size: ~3mm
These flies ride a Dung beetles ( Scarabaeus sacer) on the back or the front, lags....
also they was trying to get inside the beetle borrow or wait on the outside
R these flies a kleptoparasitic?
sorry for the quality. the beetles do not like the camera
Posted by Paul Beuk on 01-12-2008 09:33
#3
Small Sphaeroceridae. The may utilise dung colelcted by the beetle. Maybe not so much kleptoparisitsim as commensalism...
Did you collect any?
Posted by Amir on 01-12-2008 10:44
#4
I collect only photos
anyway tks
I'll try to visit in the location again to try find more beetles and these flies
Amir
Posted by Amir on 05-12-2008 23:26
#5
I found an article regarding Kleptoparasitism and Phoresy in the Diptera
In this article there is a mansion for Ceroptera rufitarsis (Sphaeroceridae) and Scarabaeus sacer (Scarabaeidae).
so we may have potential for ID or at last example for Kleptoparasitism and Phoresy behavior
http://www.fcla.e...82p179.pdf