Tetanocera ferruginea
Fallén, 1820
common buff snailkiller
Tetanocera ferruginea is a medium to large sciomyzid fly with light brown coloration and no obvious wing markings. It is an obligate malacophage, with larvae preying on non-operculate snails in aquatic and semi-aquatic . The has a Holarctic distribution and is multivoltine, in the puparial stage. Despite forming large , individuals exhibit very limited movement within habitats.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Tetanocera ferruginea: /ˌtɛtəˈnoʊsərə ˌfɛrəˈdʒɪniə/
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Images
Habitat
Aquatic and semi-aquatic environments including areas at or just below the water surface, on emergent vegetation, and on moist shoreline surfaces.
Distribution
Holarctic distribution; present in the Palearctic region including the UK, with records from Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire. Not considered scarce or threatened in Britain.
Diet
Larvae are of non-operculate snails (malacophagy), specifically feeding on Lymnaeidae and Planorbidae.
Life Cycle
Multivoltine. Overwinters in the as diapausing or quiescent , pupae, or . The puparial stage is present year-round.
Behavior
Exhibits very limited movements within despite occurrence of large . Larvae prey on snails at or just below the water surface, on emergent vegetation, and occasionally on moist shoreline surfaces.
Ecological Role
of non-operculate snails in aquatic and semi-aquatic .
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Catalogue of Life
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