Trichopoda
Encyclopedia
Trichopoda is a genus
of tachinid flies
, commonly known as the feather-legged flies or hairy-legged flies. The name comes from Greek, Tricho meaning hair and poda meaning foot. They are small, brightly-coloured flies that congregate on flowers, feeding on nectar. The vestigial hind wings are covered with yellow scales and there is a fringe of hairs on the hind legs. The larvae
are parasitoids of true bugs in the order Hemiptera
, including stink bugs and squash bugs in the family Pentatomidae
and leaf-footed bugs in the family Coreidae
. They are found in North and South America.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of tachinid flies
Tachinidae
Tachinidae is a large and rather variable family of true flies within the insect order Diptera, with more than 8,200 known species and many more to be discovered. There are over 1300 species in North America. Insects in this family are commonly called tachina flies or simply tachinids...
, commonly known as the feather-legged flies or hairy-legged flies. The name comes from Greek, Tricho meaning hair and poda meaning foot. They are small, brightly-coloured flies that congregate on flowers, feeding on nectar. The vestigial hind wings are covered with yellow scales and there is a fringe of hairs on the hind legs. The larvae
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...
are parasitoids of true bugs in the order Hemiptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
, including stink bugs and squash bugs in the family Pentatomidae
Pentatomidae
Pentatomidae, Greek pente meaning five and tomos meaning section, is a family of insects belonging to order hemiptera that includes some of the stink bugs and shield bugs. Their antennae are 5-segmented, which gives the family its scientific name. Their bodies are usually shield-shaped...
and leaf-footed bugs in the family Coreidae
Coreidae
Coreidae are a large family of predominantly herbivorous insects that belong in the hemipteran suborder Heteroptera. There are more than 1,800 species in over 250 genera. They vary in size from 7 to 45 mm, making the larger species some of the biggest heteropterans. The body shape of coreids...
. They are found in North and South America.