The conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae).

Biology

Stylogastrines are obligate associates of Cockroaches,

Orthoptera Orthoptera () is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – grassho ...

, some

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

and ants.Couri, M.S., Pont, A.C. & Kirk-Spriggs, A.H. 2013. New Muscidae (Diptera) hosts of ''Stylogaster'' Macquart (Diptera: Conopidae) from the Afrotropical Region. '' African Invertebrates'' 54 (2): 401–40

/ref> These flies typically use army ants' raiding columns to flush out their prey, ground-dwelling

and/or roaches. Stylogastrines are somewhat atypical for conopids, in that the egg itself is shaped somewhat like a harpoon, with a rigid barbed tip, and the egg is forcibly jabbed into the host. The female of some species waits for army ants to flush out a target, then she dives in and jabs an egg into the host. The ''Stylogaster'' larvae then develop as

endoparasitoids In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionary strategies within parasitis ...

. This is a remarkably high-risk behavior, in that many hosts are captured and killed by the ants after a female has laid an egg in it, so many eggs are lost. Adults can occasionally be found at flowers, feeding on nectar with their proboscis, which is longer than the body when unfolded. The female's abdomen is also folded under the body, and is the derivation of the generic name (''Stylogaster'' = "needle-tail").

Distribution

Stylogastrines can be found from the Neotropics to Canada, South America, Africa south of the

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

, and parts of Southern Asia, including the Philippines and New Guinea.

Selected species

*''

Stylogaster biannulata ''Stylogaster biannulata'' is a species of thick-headed flies (insects in the family Conopidae The Conopidae, usually known as the thick-headed flies, are a family of flies within the Brachycera suborder of Diptera, and the sole member of th ...

'' ( Say, 1823) *''

Stylogaster camrasi The conopidae, conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology ...

'' Stuckenberg, 1963 *''

Stylogaster ctenitarsa The conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology Stylogastr ...

'' Camras & Parrillo, 1996 *''

Stylogaster malgachensis The conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology Stylogastr ...

'' Camras, 1962 *''

Stylogaster neglecta The conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology Stylogastr ...

'' Williston, 1883 *''

Stylogaster pauliani The conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology Stylogastr ...

'' Curran, 1962 *''

Stylogaster rafaeli The conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology Stylogastr ...

'' Camras & Parrillo, 1996 *''

Stylogaster seguyi The conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology Stylogastr ...

'' Camras, 1962 *''

Stylogaster seyrigi The conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology Stylogastr ...

'' Séguy, 1932 *''

Stylogaster sinaloae The conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology Stylogastr ...

'' Camras, 1989 *''

Stylogaster smithiana The conopidae, conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology ...

'' Lopes, 1971 *''

Stylogaster souzai The conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology Stylogastr ...

'' Monteiro, 1960 *''

Stylogaster souzalopesi The conopid genus ''Stylogaster'' is a group of unusual flies. It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae). Biology Stylogastr ...

'' Camras, 1990

References

Stuke, J.-H. 2012. A revision of Afrotropical species of ''Stylogaster'' Macquart (Diptera: Conopidae), with descriptions of twenty-one new species and an identification key. '' African Invertebrates'' 53 (1): 267-354

External links

Images
at Consortium for the Barcode of Life. {{Taxonbar, from=Q7629685 Conopidae Conopoidea genera Taxa named by Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart