Lespesia

Robineau-Desvoidy, 1863

Species Guides

Lespesia archippivora(Caterpillar Destroyer)
Lespesia samiae

Lespesia is a of tachinid flies (Diptera: Tachinidae) distributed from Canada to Chile, with approximately 37 in the Neotropical Region. Species are endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera caterpillars, with some records from larvae. The genus includes economically significant species such as L. archippivora, a major of monarch butterfly larvae documented through extensive citizen science monitoring.

Lespesia by (c) Arturo Santos, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Arturo Santos. Used under a CC-BY license.

Lespesia archippivora by (c) Arturo Santos, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Arturo Santos. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Lespesia: /lɛsˈpeːzi.a/

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

Images

Habitat

Associated with caterpillar including agricultural crops, ornamental plants, and natural vegetation. L. melloi was collected at 1,010 m elevation in southeastern Brazil.

Distribution

ranges from Canada to Chile, with 37 recorded in the Neotropical Region. Specific locality records include Vermont (USA), Puerto Rico, southeastern Brazil (Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro), and Chiapas (Mexico).

Host Associations

Danaus plexippus - endoparasitoidL. archippivora; major , 75% of tachinid specimens from monarch monitoring
Xanthopastis timais - endoparasitoidL. melloi; caterpillars and pupae feed on Amaryllidaceae
Spodoptera frugiperda - endoparasitoidL. postica and Lespesia spp.; on Zea mays in Puerto Rico and Chiapas
Spodoptera exigua - endoparasitoidL. archippivora
Monoctenus sanchezi - endoparasitoidL. postica; first record for this association
Thagona tibialis - endoparasitoidL. melloi; hyperparasitoid Brachymeria koehleri recorded from pupae
Lepidoptera (general) - endoparasitoidMultiple ; laboratory studies confirm broad ranges for some species

Life Cycle

Endoparasitoid larvae develop internally within caterpillars. In L. melloi, larvae emerged from hosts June 2-5, pupated within hours, and emerged June 29-July 1 (approximately 3-4 weeks after ).

Behavior

Female flies deposit into or on caterpillar . L. archippivora exhibits progeny allocation strategies when exploiting hosts. Multiparasitism (multiple tachinid emerging from single host) has been observed in monarchs.

Ecological Role

agent of lepidopteran pests. L. archippivora is the most abundant (75% of specimens) in monarch butterfly , with 9.8% overall rate increasing to 17% in fifth-instar larvae. L. melloi is a potential biocontrol agent for Spanish moth on amaryllis.

Human Relevance

Used in biological pest control programs. L. archippivora has been monitored extensively through citizen science (Monarch Larva Monitoring Project) since 1999, with over 20,000 monarch specimens reared and more than 1,100 flies collected by volunteers. L. postica and L. melloi show potential for controlling agricultural pests on maize and ornamental plants.