Feeding-plasticity

Guides

• Pangoniini

  horse flies

  Pangoniini is a tribe of horse flies (Tabanidae) within the subfamily Pangoniinae, containing some of the most morphologically primitive members of the family. Species exhibit diverse feeding strategies: some females are haematophagous (blood-feeding) while males and certain species are nectarophagous (nectar-feeding), as determined by mouthpart morphology. The tribe shows progressive evolutionary reduction in female mandibles and structural modifications of antennal and tibial characters. Australian members are predominantly low-flying insects that do not suck blood, contrasting with Chilean species that include both blood-feeding and non-blood-feeding forms.

  horse-fliesTabanidaePangoniinaeprimitivesexual-dimorphismfeeding-plasticityAustraliaChilescanning-electron-microscopymouthpart-morphologymicropilositymandible-reductionantennal-segmentationtibial-spurslow-flyingnectarophagoushaematophagousEsenbeckiaProtodasyaphaVepriusEctenopsisAustroplexCaenoprosoponTherevopangonia