Lepidophora lutea

Painter, 1962

Hunchbacked Bee Fly

Lepidophora lutea is a of bee fly in the Bombyliidae, commonly known as the Hunchbacked Bee Fly. It is distinguished from its L. lepidocera by having pale on both the 4th and 5th abdominal segments rather than only the 5th. The species exhibits a distinctive hunch-backed body shape shared with other members of its . have been observed visiting flowers for nectar.

Lepidophora lutea by (c) christine123, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by christine123. Used under a CC-BY license.Lepidophora lutea by (c) Dan MacNeal, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dan MacNeal. Used under a CC-BY license.Lepidophora lutea - Bee Fly by Ilona Loser. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Lepidophora lutea: /ˌlɛ.pɪˈdɒ.fə.rə ˈluː.ti.ə/

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Identification

Distinguished from the southern Lepidophora lepidocera by having pale on both the 4th and 5th abdominal segments; L. lepidocera has pale scales restricted to the 5th segment. Shares the distinctive hunch-backed body shape characteristic of the .

Images

Distribution

Ontario, Canada and the eastern United States, from Maine and Florida west to Minnesota and Louisiana; also recorded in Vermont.

Life Cycle

Larvae are kleptoparasites on the provisions of solitary in the Vespidae and Sphecidae, usurping nest provisions intended for wasp larvae rather than parasitizing the larvae directly.

Behavior

have been observed taking nectar from flowers.

Similar Taxa

  • Lepidophora lepidoceraSimilar hunch-backed body shape; distinguished by L. lutea having pale on both 4th and 5th abdominal segments versus only the 5th in L. lepidocera; L. lepidocera occurs in the southern United States

Sources and further reading