Tachina

Meigen, 1803

Species Guides

Tachina latianulum

Tachina is a of large tachinid flies comprising approximately 600 worldwide. are typically 9–14 mm in length with conspicuous spiky bristles. The genus is notable for its larval lifestyle, with most species targeting lepidopteran caterpillars as . Tachina fera, the best-studied species, has a -level assembly representing the first high-quality genomic resource for the Tachinidae.

Tachina latianulum by (c) Alison Northup, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alison Northup. Used under a CC-BY license.

Tachina luteola by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Tachina: /ˈtæ.kiː.nə/

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

Identification

Members of Tachina are large, robust tachinid flies with prominent, dense bristle covering (setae) on the body. Tachina fera specifically shows a chestnut-colored with a dark central stripe and spiky bristles. Females are morphologically challenging to identify due to fewer distinct characters compared to males.

Images

Habitat

Found in open countryside, meadows, and woodland edges. Tachina fera is abundant across European countryside and has been specifically recorded from Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire, UK.

Distribution

Worldwide distribution with approximately 600 . Tachina fera occurs across Europe, North Africa, and Asia, with records from the UK (Berkshire), Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Vermont, USA.

Seasonality

Tachina fera is in the UK, with periods in May–June and July–September.

Diet

feed at flowers throughout the landscape.

Host Associations

Noctuid moth caterpillars - Larval for Tachina fera

Life Cycle

are laid pre-incubated onto leaves near the rather than being placed directly into the host by the female. Upon hatching, larvae actively seek out host caterpillars, using vibration cues to locate them. Tachina fera is in the UK.

Behavior

Unique strategy where are deposited pre-incubated on vegetation near potential ; newly hatched larvae are mobile and use vibration stimuli to actively locate and penetrate host caterpillars.

Ecological Role

Important regulator of insect herbivory through of caterpillars. contribute to pollination through flower feeding.

Similar Taxa

NowickiaFormerly treated as a subgenus of Tachina by some authors, but now accepted as a valid separate following most current taxonomic treatments.

More Details

Genomic resources

Tachina fera has a -level assembly of 752 Mb with 12,253 protein-coding genes, representing the first high-quality genome for the Tachinidae.

Taxonomic history

The Nowickia was historically treated as a subgenus of Tachina but is now accepted as a valid genus and treated separately.

Identification challenges

Morphological identification of female Tachinidae is notably difficult due to reduced distinct morphological characters compared to males.