Black Bee Fly Anthrax georgicus Say, 1823    Synonyms: Anthrax analis.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Diptera   >   Family Bombyliidae   >   Genus Anthrax   

Status:

Unlike other members of its genus (which utilize Hymenoptera), Anthrax georgicus is a parasitoid of tiger beetle larvae. Adults can frequently be seen hovering in areas with dense tiger beetle congregations as they attempt to oviposit into the larval burrows. Once the egg hatches, the fly larva attaches as an external parasitoid and feed on the hemolymph, developing slowly while the beetle larva grows. Eventually, as the tiger beetle larva nears maturity, the Anthrax larva devours it, and pupates in the burrow. This species can be a major source of mortality for some tiger beetle species, and often a substantial percentage of tiger beetle larvae at a site may succumb to parasitism. (Knisley & Schultz 1997)

There are 16 records in the project database.

View images at BugGuide

View taxon at iNaturalist

View taxon at NatureServe

Search Google Images

Search MBP Facebook posts (beta | requires login)


[View seasonality details]
GAALWAFRCLMOHO BA BC HACEPG AA CV CHSMKEQACN TA DO WISOWO 
Black Bee Fly in Prince George's Co., Maryland (7/10/2022). (c) Adrienne van den Beemt, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Adrienne van den Beemt. (MBP list)

Black Bee Fly in Dorchester Co., Maryland (8/21/2015). Verified by Joel Kits/BugGuide. Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Black Bee Fly in Prince George's Co., Maryland (6/25/2017). Determined by Bob Biagi/BugGuide. Photo by Judy Gallagher. (MBP list)

Black Bee Fly in Worcester Co., Maryland (7/18/2016). Determined by Bob Biagi/BugGuide. Photo by Linda Hunt. (MBP list)

Black Bee Fly in Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/13/2015). Determined by John S. Ascher/BugGuide. Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)

Black Bee Fly in Caroline Co., Maryland (6/6/2022). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)


View All Images

Use of images featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.