Dipalta is a genus of flies belonging to the family Bombyliidae (bee-flies). The genus is closely related to Villa.[1]
| Dipalta | |
|---|---|
| |
| Dipalta sp. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Bombyliidae |
| Subfamily: | Anthracinae |
| Tribe: | Villini |
| Genus: | Dipalta Osten Sacken, 1877 |
| Type species | |
| Dipalta serpentina Osten Sacken, 1877[1]
| |
Description
editThese medium-sized flies, with conical faces, have three marginal wing cells on mottled wings with erratic wing venation. Wing length is 10–13 mm, and body length is 9–10 mm. The species are very variable; Hull suggests there could be other species, or only one very variable one.[1]
Species
edit- D. banksi Johnson, 1921
- D. serpentina Osten Sacken, 1877
Distribution
editOne species is from Mexico and the western United States, and the other from Virginia and Ohio.[1]
Ecology
editAdults are found on low growing flowers in desert areas. Larvae are parasitic on ant lions.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Hull, F.M. (1973). Bee flies of the world. The genera of the family Bombyliidae. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press. pp. 687 pp. ISBN 0-87474-131-9.