Pseudogaurax signatus
(Loew, 1876)
frit fly
Pseudogaurax signatus is a of in the , first described by Loew in 1876. The species has been documented as a of sacs, specifically those of the black and garden spider Argiope aurantia. This parasitic relationship was recorded in a 1993 study by Lockley and Young, which identified P. signatus as one of the chief parasites emerging from A. aurantia egg sacs alongside the ichneumon Tromatopia rufopectus. The species belongs to a that includes other members, with the congeneric species Pseudogaurax paratolmos being the first chloropid discovered to parasitize .
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Pseudogaurax signatus: //suˌdoʊˈɡɔːraks sɪɡˈneɪtəs//
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Host Associations
- Argiope aurantia - of sacs; emerge from egg sacs of this
Ecological Role
of sacs, contributing to natural of Argiope aurantia. The represents one of the documented associates of spider egg sacs, where it functions as a mortality factor for developing spider eggs.
Similar Taxa
- Pseudogaurax paratolmosCongeneric in the same ; differs in association (parasitizes of Apterostigma dentigerum rather than sacs)
- Other Chloropidae-level similarity; most are not of , making association the distinguishing feature for P. signatus