Physocephala tibialis (Say, 1829)    
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Diptera   >   Family Conopidae   >   Genus Physocephala   

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"If you are a bumble bee (how fascinating if you were...) this fly would be your worst nightmare. You be flying along, warmed by the sun as you joyfully gathered pollen and nectar from flowers, then Wham, this fly, about half your size, would latch onto you and with the tip of its abdomen force itself between your abdominal segments and insert its egg. Later, that egg would hatch, crawl inside you and gradually eat you alive, but yet, you could do nothing about it. Ultimately you would perish, alone, burying yourself as commanded by your parasite, perhaps suffering some sort of existential realignment with yourself before you go, perhaps not. Another casualty of the cruelness that is Nature." (S. Droege, pers. comm.)

There are 38 records in the project database.

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Physocephala tibialis in Howard Co., Maryland (6/18/2014). Photo by Richard Orr. (MBP list)

A female Physocephala tibialis in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/10/2014). Photo by Steve Scholnick. (MBP list)

A female Physocephala tibialis in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/1/2019). Determined by Aaron Schusteff/BugGuide. Photo by Steve Scholnick. (MBP list)

A Physocephala tibialis in Kent Co., Maryland (6/27/2016). Determined by Aaron Schusteff/BugGuide. Photo by Shannon Schade. (MBP list)

Physocephala tibialis in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/7/2014). Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)

A Physocephala tibialis in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/22/2014). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A Physocephala tibialis in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/14/2015). Verified by Aaron Schusteff/BugGuide. Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Physocephala tibialis in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/5/2020). (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Katja Schulz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Physocephala tibialis in Baltimore Co., Maryland (8/31/2014). Photo by John Dennehy. (MBP list)

A male Physocephala tibialis in Kent Co., Maryland (6/22/2014). Verified by Aaron Schusteff/BugGuide. Photo by Nancy Martin. (MBP list)

A Physocephala tibialis in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/25/2016). Photo by Richard Orr. (MBP list)

Physocephala tibialis in Carroll Co., Maryland (7/4/2018). Determined by Aaron Schusteff and Ken Wolgemuth/BugGuide. Photo by Barbara Speckart. (MBP list)

A Physocephala tibialis in Howard Co., Maryland (8/4/2017). Verified by Bob Biagi/BugGuide. Photo by Kurt Schwarz. (MBP list)

A female Physocephala tibialis in Caroline Co., Maryland (6/13/2020). Verified by Aaron Schusteff/BugGuide. Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

Physocephala tibialis in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/5/2020). (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Katja Schulz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Physocephala tibialis in Baltimore City, Maryland (8/27/2008). Determined by Aaron Schusteff/BugGuide. Photo by Thomas Wilson. (MBP list)

A mating pair of Physocephala tibialis in Carroll Co., Maryland (8/14/2011). Photo by Anna Letaw. (MBP list)

Physocephala tibialis in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/5/2020). (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Katja Schulz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Physocephala tibialis in Howard Co., Maryland (6/19/2020). (c) smuller, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

Physocephala tibialis in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/5/2020). (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Katja Schulz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Physocephala tibialis in Virginia (7/9/2014). Collected by Gene Scarpulla. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

A Physocephala tibialis in Frederick Co., Maryland (7/30/2017). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A Physocephala tibialis in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/6/2017). Determined by John S. Ascher/BugGuide. Photo by Lynn Strauss. (MBP list)


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