Stevenia deceptoria

(Loew, 1847)

Grizzled Woodlouse-fly

Stevenia deceptoria is a fly in the Rhinophoridae, originally described from the Palaearctic region and recently recorded in North America for the first time. Like other rhinophorids, it parasitizes terrestrial woodlice (Isopoda: Oniscoidea). The is known as the Grizzled -fly in vernacular usage.

Stevenia deceptoria by (c) RAP, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by RAP. Used under a CC-BY license.

Stevenia deceptoria by (c) Paul Cook, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Paul Cook. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Stevenia deceptoria: //ˈstiː.vəni.ə dɛkˈsɛp.tɔːri.ə//

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

Images

Distribution

Originally Palaearctic; first North American record documented in 2015. GBIF records indicate presence in Belgium. The has a distribution pattern typical of the .

Host Associations

terrestrial woodlice (Isopoda: Oniscoidea) - All known Rhinophoridae are of terrestrial woodlice; this association is inferred for S. deceptoria based on -level

Life Cycle

Females lay in the vicinity of potential . First instar larvae are planidial (mobile and free-living) and actively parasitize woodlice as they pass by. Subsequent development occurs within the host.

Ecological Role

of terrestrial woodlice, potentially contributing to of isopod decomposers in soil and leaf litter .

Similar Taxa

Other RhinophoridaeRhinophoridae are morphologically similar to Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae; accurate identification requires examination of specific characters including wing venation and male terminalia. Stevenia deceptoria specifically may be distinguished from by detailed morphological study.

More Details

Taxonomic note

The placement of Stevenia has been contentious. GBIF and Catalogue of Life list the in Calliphoridae, while NCBI, iNaturalist, and recent taxonomic treatments place it in Rhinophoridae. The 2015 Zootaxa paper explicitly treats S. deceptoria as a rhinophorid.

Data limitations

-specific biological data for S. deceptoria are sparse. Most ecological and information presented here derives from -level studies of Rhinophoridae and may not reflect particular adaptations of this species.