Sicus ferrugineus
Encyclopedia
Sicus ferrugineus is a species
of fly
from the genus Sicus
in the family
Conopidae
. It is common throughout much of Europe
.
The body is mainly reddish-brown or yellow-brown. The head is yellow, quite large and inflated-looking, with a kind of bubble at the front, narrow cheeks and short antennae. The large eyes are reddish. When in resting position the abdomen is usually folded forward.
The adults grow up to 8–13 mm (0.31496062992126–0.511811023622047 ) long and can be encountered from May through September, feeding on nectar or pollen of various Asteraceae
species (Hieracium pilosella, Thistle
Cirsium species, etc.), Apiaceae
species, Parsley
Petroselinum sp.) and Rosaceae
species, (Blackberries Rubus sp.).
Their larva
e are endoparasites
of bumble bees of the genus Bombus (B. lapidarius, B. terrestris, B. hortorum, B. pascuorum, etc.). They pupate and overwinter in ther victims.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of fly
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
from the genus Sicus
Sicus
Sicus is a genus of fly from the family Conopidae.-Species:*S. abdominalis Kröber, 1915*S. alpinus Stuke, 2002*S. ferrugineus *S. fusenensis Ôuchi, 1939*S. nigritarsis Zimina, 1975...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Conopidae
Conopidae
Conopidae, usually known as the thick-headed flies, is a family of flies within the Brachycera suborder of Diptera. Flies of the family Conopidae are distributed worldwide except for the poles and many of the Pacific islands. About 800 species in 47 genera are described worldwide, approximately 70...
. It is common throughout much of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The body is mainly reddish-brown or yellow-brown. The head is yellow, quite large and inflated-looking, with a kind of bubble at the front, narrow cheeks and short antennae. The large eyes are reddish. When in resting position the abdomen is usually folded forward.
The adults grow up to 8–13 mm (0.31496062992126–0.511811023622047 ) long and can be encountered from May through September, feeding on nectar or pollen of various Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
species (Hieracium pilosella, Thistle
Thistle
Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the...
Cirsium species, etc.), Apiaceae
Apiaceae
The Apiaceae , commonly known as carrot or parsley family, is a group of mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems. The family is large, with more than 3,700 species spread across 434 genera, it is the sixteenth largest family of flowering plants...
species, Parsley
Parsley
Parsley is a species of Petroselinum in the family Apiaceae, native to the central Mediterranean region , naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and widely cultivated as an herb, a spice and a vegetable.- Description :Garden parsley is a bright green hairless biennial herbaceous plant in temperate...
Petroselinum sp.) and Rosaceae
Rosaceae
Rosaceae are a medium-sized family of flowering plants, including about 2830 species in 95 genera. The name is derived from the type genus Rosa. Among the largest genera are Alchemilla , Sorbus , Crataegus , Cotoneaster , and Rubus...
species, (Blackberries Rubus sp.).
Their larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e are endoparasites
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
of bumble bees of the genus Bombus (B. lapidarius, B. terrestris, B. hortorum, B. pascuorum, etc.). They pupate and overwinter in ther victims.