Description

• Cordyligaster is a genus of tachinid flies in the family Tachinidae. Species are generally medium-sized, robust flies with relatively stout bodies, large compound eyes, and often contrasting dark and pale markings. As with many tachinids, the abdomen may bear conspicuous bristles, and the wing venation and arrangement of abdominal setae are important for identification.

Range

• Species of Cordyligaster occur primarily in the Americas, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. The genus is distributed from Mexico through Central America and into South America, and Cordyligaster flies can be encountered in the Zihua area.

Habitat

• Usually found in warm, vegetated environments, including tropical forests, forest edges, woodland clearings, scrub, gardens, and disturbed vegetation. Adults may visit flowers or rest on foliage while searching for suitable hosts.

Diet

• Adults generally feed on nectar, pollen, and other plant-associated liquids. The larvae are parasitoids of other insects, developing within their hosts and eventually killing them. Host associations are not well known for all Cordyligaster species but are likely to involve other arthropods, particularly insect larvae.