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Flies of Zihuatanejo

ORDER DIPTERA

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Flies Order (Diptera)

-Brachyceran Flies (Suborder Brachycera)​

-Orthorrhaphan Flies (Infraorder Orthorrhapha)

-Superfamily Asiloidea

-Bee Flies (Family Bombyliidae)​

-​Subfamily Anthracinae​​​

-Banded Bee Flies (Tribe Villini​)

-Genus Chrysanthrax


Banded bee flies of the genus Chrysanthrax are striking members of the family Bombyliidae, easily recognized by their boldly patterned wings marked with dark bands, patches, or smoky areas that contrast with clear sections. These flies are most often found in warm, dry, and open habitats such as sandy areas, scrublands, and desert margins, where they are active in bright sunlight. Adults frequently visit flowers for nectar but may also spend time resting on bare ground or low vegetation. Like other bee flies, Chrysanthrax species are parasitoids during their larval stage. Females deposit eggs in or near the nests of other insects—commonly solitary bees or wasps, and in some cases beetles—where the developing larvae consume the host or its provisions

Chrysanthrax Banded Bee

Chrysanthrax (Genus)

Description

  • Chrysanthrax is a genus of bee flies in the family Bombyliidae. Species are generally small to medium-sized, stout-bodied flies with broad heads, large eyes, and a prominent proboscis. Many have dark bodies covered with contrasting pale or golden hairs, while the wings may be clear or have distinctive dark markings. Their often bee-like appearance is characteristic of many members of the family.

Range

  • Species of Chrysanthrax occur primarily in the Americas, with numerous species distributed through tropical and subtropical regions. The genus occurs in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, and Chrysanthrax bee flies can be encountered in the Zihua area.

Habitat

  • Usually found in warm, sunny habitats, including tropical forest edges, woodland clearings, scrub, grasslands, and disturbed areas with flowering vegetation. Adults commonly rest on exposed surfaces or visit flowers, and may be seen hovering or making short flights close to the ground.

Diet

  • Adults feed primarily on nectar and other floral resources, using their long proboscis to obtain liquids from flowers. The larvae of Chrysanthrax are associated with other insects and are believed to develop as parasitoids or predators of immature stages, although host relationships vary among species.

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