Posted by Santi on 21-11-2012 18:03
#1
Hi!
I work on bumble bees, and I find these diptera larvae in the bees' metasomal hemocele (see picture). I guess they are Tachinidae or/and Conopidae, but I need help from you to identify. Unfortunately, bees are usually frozen after sampling, so I can not rear the larvae. I tried, but (following Murphy's law) no one of the bees kept alive were parasitized.
The size do not exceed 5 mm. I also find other larvae, similar in shape, but white, smaller, softer, and with the spiracles connected to bee's tracheal branches by ...funnels?. I found one of each in the same bumblebee, only one time. Commonly seems to be one larve (white or dark) per bumble bee
If somebody can tell me something about their ID, I will be grateful.
Best,
Edited by Santi on 23-11-2012 18:50
Posted by atylotus on 01-12-2012 10:53
#5
for family level I use Smith (1989). An introduction to the immature stages of British flies, a must have (and Ferrar 1987 of course) when studying immature diptera.
In Smiths' key Conopidae and Tachinidae are separated as follows (p71):
6. Posterior spiracles each with numerous pore-like openings.....7
- Posterior spiracles each with three slit-like openings.....10
7. Posterior spiracles usually dome-shaped, either with circular wart-like protuberances each bearing several spiracular pores, or with clusters of pores radiating from the ecdysal scar, or with a small stellar process near each spiracular plate, or with a pair of large laterally directed anal vesicles; endoparasites of bees and wasps......Conopidae
- Posterior spiracle otherwise......8
8. Openings of posterior spiracle arranged in three radiating groups; endoparasites of Hemiptera-Heteroptera.....Tachinidae (in part)
- Oestridae/Hypodermatidae (in mammals)
So just on the basis of biology (Conopidae in bees and wasp vs Tachinidae in Hemiptera-Heteroptera), Conopidae seems the most logical. Also Smith (1989) depicted 3 species of Conopidae which, in habitus, looks similar as yours, think anterior part and abruptly smaller posterior part.
I have no knowledge of a larval key for Conopidae. Smith (1989) refers to some papers: Smith (1966) on Thecophora occidens, and Smith & Peterson (1987) provided a key to genera for the eggs and larvae so far described.
Smith, K.G.V. (1966). The larva of Thecophora occidens, with comments upon the biology of Conopidae (Diptera). J. Zool., London 149:263-276
Smith, K.G.V. & B.V. Peterson (1987). Conopidae. In: McAlpine, J.F. et al. Manual of Nearctic Diptera 2. Research Branch Agriculture Canada Monograph no. 28: 749-756.
I think you can download the latter freely from internet, but not sure though.
I hope this will help
edit: I have once downloaded vol 1, 2 and 3 as PDF so if you need it, let me know through PM.
Edited by atylotus on 01-12-2012 11:10