Ectophasia crassipennis

Ectophasia crassipennis is a species of 'parasitic flies' of the family Tachinidae, subfamily Phasiinae.[1]

Ectophasia crassipennis
Ectophasia crassipennis, male
Ectophasia crassipennis, female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Hexapoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Tachinidae
Subfamily:	Phasiinae
Tribe:	Phasiini
Genus:	Ectophasia
Species:	E. crassipennis
Binomial name
Ectophasia crassipennis (Fabricius, 1794)
Synonyms
Syrphus crassipennis Fabricius, 1794 Phasia crassipennis (Fabricius, 1794)

Description

Adults of Ectophasia crassipennis can reach a length of about 5–9 millimetres (0.20–0.35 in). Their large compound eyes are reddish. In this quite variable species the body may be blackish or orange-brownish. The broad abdomen is flattened and sternite 7 is ventrally folded. The large wings have wide brownish or greyish dots and the cell R5 is opened at the edge.[2][3] It is quite difficult to distinguish this species from the similar Ectophasia oblonga.[4]

Distribution

This fly is present in Southern Europe and warmer parts of Central Europe.[3][5]

Biology

These flies can mostly be encountered from early August through late September feeding on nectar of flowers (especially of Apiaceae and Asteraceae species).

The larvae are parasitic of Hemiptera (Pentatomidae,[2] Acanthosomatidae,[6] Coreidae and Lygaeidae [4] species).

• 
  Eggs of Ectophasia crassipennis on Elasmucha grisea
• 
  Ectophasia crassipennis, close-up on a wing with detail of veins

References

1. Biolib
2. Aramel.free
3. Tachinidae.org
4. Naturspaziergang
5. Fauna Europaea
6. "Diptera Parasitoid Records". Archived from the original on 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2014-10-24.

• James E. O'Hara, Hiroshi Shima, & Chuntian Zhang - "Annotated Catalogue of the Tachinidae (Insecta: Diptera) of China" - Zootaxa 2190 (2009): 1-236