Anthrax

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Superfamily: Asiloidea
Family: Bombyliidae
Subfamily: Anthracinae
Tribe: Anthracini
Genus: Anthrax

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Anthrax: //ˈænθræks//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Bee Fly - Anthrax albofasciatus, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Chiefland, Florida by Judy Gallagher. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Anthrax argyropygus (50051486183) by Christina Butler from Georgia, United States. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Beefly - Flickr - treegrow (3) by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Bee Fly - Anthrax argyropygus, Soldiers Delight, Owings Mills, Maryland by Judy Gallagher. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Female Brachyanax aterrimus Matsumura 1916 by Shonen Matsumura. Used under a Public domain license.

Black bee-fly (4210198102) by Ian Sutton from Oberon, Australia. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Summary

Anthrax is a genus of flies belonging to the family Bombyliidae, noted for their parasitic larvae that feed primarily on solitary bees and wasps. Members of this genus are important for their ecological role in various ecosystems and can serve as indicators of environmental health due to their specialized life cycles.

Physical Characteristics

Small, typically 6–7 mm long; many species with distinctive patterns and coloration.

Identification Tips

Look for hovering flight behavior and the ability to flip eggs into the nests of solitary bees and wasps.

Habitat

Variety of habitats including grasslands, meadows, and areas near nesting sites of solitary bees and wasps.

Distribution

Most diverse in Eurasia and Africa; 38 species reported in local area, with 11 species in the eastern regions and the rest in western regions.

Diet

Larvae feed on the larvae of solitary bees and wasps, with some reported cases of parasitizing tiger beetles and megachilid bees.

Life Cycle

Females hover and lay eggs near the nests of solitary bees and wasps; larvae hatch and consume the stored food in the cells.

Reproduction

Sexual reproduction with females laying eggs in the burrows of their hosts.

Predators

Various insectivorous birds and other insect predators may feed on adults or larvae.

Ecosystem Role

As parasitoids, they may help control solitary bee and wasp populations and play a role in pollination as adults.

Collecting Methods

Netting individuals during the adult flying period
Using traps set near nesting sites of solitary bees and wasps

Preservation Methods

Pinning
Alcohol preservation in 70% ethanol

Similar Taxa

Other genera in the Bombyliidae family such as Villa and Cyrtopogon.

Misconceptions

Misunderstandings about their association with the bacterium causing anthrax in humans; the genus Anthrax does not directly cause the disease anthrax.