Conopidae
Guides
Conopinae
thick-headed flies
Conopinae is a subfamily of flies within the family Conopidae, commonly known as thick-headed flies. Members are characterized by their distinctive head shape, with a broad, inflated frons that gives the group its common name. The subfamily includes two tribes: Conopini (genera Conops and Leopoldius) and Physocephalini (genera Physocephala and Physoconops). These flies are known for their parasitoid life history, with females attacking various hymenopteran hosts.
Dalmannia pacifica
Dalmannia pacifica is a species of thick-headed fly (family Conopidae) described by Banks in 1916. It belongs to the subfamily Dalmanniinae. Conopid flies are known for their parasitic lifestyle, with larvae typically developing inside other insects. The species epithet "pacifica" suggests a western North American distribution, though specific range details remain limited.
Myopa vesiculosa
Myopa vesiculosa is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae, first described by Thomas Say in 1823. The genus Myopa comprises internal parasitoids of bees and wasps, with females intercepting hosts in flight to oviposit eggs between abdominal segments. Species within Myopa are generally poorly recorded, partly due to identification difficulties.
Myopa vicaria
Myopa vicaria is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. Members of this family are internal parasitoids of bees and wasps, with females intercepting hosts in flight to oviposit eggs between abdominal segments. The genus Myopa is generally poorly recorded, likely due to identification difficulties.
Physocephala floridana
thick-headed fly
Physocephala floridana is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. Members of this genus are known to parasitize bees and wasps, with females attacking hosts in mid-air to deposit eggs between abdominal segments. The larvae develop as internal parasites, eventually killing the host. This species has been recorded from the northeastern United States, including Vermont.
Physocephala sagittaria
thick-headed fly
A species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. Adults are wasp mimics that frequent flowers for nectar. Females are known to parasitize bumble bees by forcing eggs between abdominal segments, with larvae developing internally and eventually killing the host. The species occurs in eastern North America.
Physocephala tibialis
thick-headed fly
Physocephala tibialis is a parasitoid fly in the family Conopidae that develops within the abdomens of bees, particularly bumble bees (Bombus spp.). Adults are primarily black with yellow facial markings and thin white abdominal stripes, and are frequently observed near flowering plants where they locate hosts. The species exhibits remarkable host manipulation, inducing infected bees to bury themselves before death, which protects the developing pupa underground.
Physoconops
thick-headed flies
Physoconops is a genus of thick-headed flies (family Conopidae) containing approximately 13 described species. Members are wasp mimics, resembling potter wasps in appearance and behavior. The genus occurs primarily in the Neotropical and Andean regions, with some species in North America. Like other conopids, Physoconops species are endoparasitoids of bees and aculeate wasps.
Physoconops analis
Physoconops analis is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. It was first described by Fabricius in 1805. The species belongs to a genus characterized by distinctive head morphology. Very few observations of this species have been documented.
Physoconops brachyrhynchus
thick-headed fly
Physoconops brachyrhynchus is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. Like other members of its genus, it exhibits wasp mimicry, resembling potter wasps in appearance. The species is a parasitoid, with females known to attack bees and wasps to deposit eggs. It has been documented in the northeastern United States, including Vermont.
Physoconops bulbirostris
thick-headed fly
Physoconops bulbirostris is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. Members of this genus are wasp mimics, resembling potter wasps in body shape and wing coloration. Like other conopids, this species is likely a parasitoid, with females attacking bees or wasps to deposit eggs. The larva develops internally, eventually killing the host.
Physoconops discalis
thick-headed fly
Physoconops discalis is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. Members of this family are characterized by their disproportionately large heads relative to body size. The genus Physoconops includes species that are notable mimics of wasps, particularly potter wasps, with elongated abdomens and wing pigmentation patterns that resemble the folded wings of their hymenopteran models. Like other conopids, they are flower-visiting flies with parasitic larval stages.
Physoconops excisus
thick-headed fly
Physoconops excisus is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. Like other members of the genus Physoconops, it exhibits wasp mimicry, resembling potter wasps in appearance. Conopid flies are parasitoids, with females attacking bees and wasps to deposit eggs between their abdominal segments. The larvae develop as internal parasites, eventually killing the host.
Physoconops floridanus
Florida physoconops
Physoconops floridanus is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae, described by Camras in 1955. The species is endemic to Florida. Thick-headed flies are known for their parasitoid lifestyle, with larvae developing inside other insects, primarily Hymenoptera.
Physoconops fronto
thick-headed fly
Physoconops fronto is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. Like other conopids, it exhibits wasp-mimicry in appearance and is known to parasitize bees and wasps. The species was described by Williston in 1885. Members of the genus Physoconops closely resemble potter wasps (Vespidae: Eumeninae) in their elongated abdomen and wing pigmentation patterns.
Physoconops gracilis
Physoconops gracilis is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae, a group of parasitoid flies known for their distinctive head shape. The species was described by Williston in 1885. Like other conopids, adults likely visit flowers for nectar. The genus Physoconops contains multiple species that can be challenging to distinguish without detailed examination.
Physoconops nigrimanus
thick-headed fly
Physoconops nigrimanus is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae, first described by Bigot in 1887. Members of this genus are wasp mimics with elongated abdomens resembling potter wasps. The family Conopidae includes parasitic species that attack bees and wasps, though specific host records for P. nigrimanus are not documented. Observations of this species are extremely rare, with only two records in iNaturalist.
Physoconops sylvosus
Physoconops sylvosus is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. Members of this genus are wasp mimics, with elongated abdomens resembling a "wasp waist" and heavily pigmented anterior wing margins that mimic the folded wings of potter wasps at rest. Like other conopids, they possess large heads relative to body size and beak-like mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding. The species is currently treated as a synonym of Gyroconops sylvosus in some taxonomic databases.
Physoconops townsendi
Physoconops townsendi is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae, described by Camras in 1955. It belongs to the genus Physoconops, which includes species that mimic potter wasps in appearance. Like other conopid flies, this species is likely a parasitoid, though specific host associations for P. townsendi remain undocumented in the provided sources.
Physoconops weemsi
A species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae, described by Camras in 2007. As a member of the genus Physoconops, it likely exhibits wasp-mimicking morphology and parasitic behavior toward Hymenoptera, though species-specific documentation remains limited. The genus is characterized by elongated abdomens resembling potter wasps and heavily pigmented wing margins that mimic the folded wings of resting wasps.
Robertsonomyia
Robertsonomyia is a genus of flies in the family Conopidae, described by Malloch in 1919. The genus is currently treated as a synonym of Zodion by Catalogue of Life, though GBIF lists it as doubtful. Conopid flies, commonly known as thick-headed flies, are parasitoids of bees and wasps. The taxonomic status of Robertsonomyia remains unresolved in current databases.
Stylogaster
thick-headed fly, needle-tailed fly
Stylogaster is a genus of conopid flies distinguished by extreme morphological and biological specializations. Adults possess an elongated proboscis exceeding body length when extended, and females have a dramatically elongated abdomen folded beneath the body—the 'needle tail' referenced in the generic name. The genus is the sole member of subfamily Stylogastrinae and comprises approximately 92 species with predominant Neotropical distribution. Unlike other conopids that parasitize aculeate Hymenoptera, Stylogaster species are endoparasitoids of orthopteroid insects (crickets, cockroaches) with documented host associations also including various calyptrate Diptera.
Stylogastrinae
Stylogastrinae is a subfamily of flies within the family Conopidae (thick-headed flies). It contains only the genus Stylogaster, comprising unusual species characterized by a highly elongated, needle-like abdomen. These flies have been historically treated as a separate family by some authorities due to their distinctive morphology. The subfamily is relatively poorly known compared to other conopids.
Thecophora
A genus of medium-sized conopid flies (4–7 mm) in the family Conopidae, characterized by black coloration with variable abdominal dusting and distinctive leg markings. Adults are active flower visitors from May to October. Larvae are internal parasitoids of halictid bees, with females depositing single eggs into flying hosts. The genus includes three species in Britain, with *Thecophora atra* being the most widely distributed and the subject of a complete genome sequencing effort.
Zodion fulvifrons
Zodion fulvifrons is a small species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. Members of the genus Zodion are known to be internal parasites of solitary wasps. The species has been documented in North America, with observations primarily from the United States. Like other conopids, adults are likely flower visitors that seek nectar while also hunting for host wasps.
Zodion intermedium
Zodion intermedium is a small species of thick-headed fly (family Conopidae) described by Banks in 1916. Like other members of its genus, it is a parasitoid that targets solitary wasps. The species is part of a family known for wasp-mimicking appearance and aggressive mid-air attacks on hosts to deposit eggs. It is one of approximately 66 conopid species recorded from North America.
Zodion pictulum
Zodion pictulum is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. Like other members of the genus Zodion, it is a parasitoid of solitary wasps. The species is notably smaller than related genera such as Physocephala, measuring approximately 5-7 millimeters in length. It has been observed in association with flowers where adults likely feed on nectar while seeking hosts.