Aculeate-parasite
Guides
Conopidae
Thick-headed Flies
Conopidae, commonly known as thick-headed flies, is a family of flies within the Brachycera suborder of Diptera and the sole member of the superfamily Conopoidea. The family comprises approximately 800 species in 47 genera worldwide, with about 70 species found in North America. Adult conopids are frequent flower visitors, feeding on nectar with their often elongated proboscis. The larvae of all conopids are internal parasitoids, primarily of aculeate Hymenoptera (stinging wasps and bees), with adult females aggressively intercepting hosts in flight to deposit eggs.