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Guides
Anthrax irroratus
Spotted Bee Fly
Anthrax irroratus is a bee fly (family Bombyliidae) widespread across North America, ranging from Alaska and northern Canada to Central America and the Caribbean. Adults are pollinators that frequent flowers, while larvae are parasitoids of solitary bees and wasps in at least five families. The species is one of numerous bee flies that exploit ground-nesting Hymenoptera as hosts.
bee-flyparasitoidpollinatorground-nesting-beessolitary-waspsNorth-AmericaBombyliidaeAnthraxdipteraectoparasitebiological-controlpollinationmeadow-speciesopen-habitatnectar-feederlarval-parasitoidHymenoptera-parasitewidespread-speciesSay-1823Alaska-to-Central-AmericaPuerto-Ricobee-mimicflower-visitornest-parasiteburrow-parasitetiger-beetle-parasite-relativeanthracinaeanthracininatural-enemy-of-pollinatorsbeneficial-insect-conflictconservation-concern-for-native-beesbee-hotel-visitorspring-pollinatorhyperactive-flierlong-proboscispollen-vectorhost-generalistfive-host-familiesexternal-parasitemaggot-like-larvalegless-larvasucker-attachmenthost-tracking-behaviornest-following-behaviorfemale-oviposition-strategyegg-deposition-at-burrow-entrancelarval-development-in-soilpupal-stage-in-soilcomplete-metamorphosisendopterygotebrachyceran-flyasilomorphabee-fly-tribespotted-bee-flyirroratusspeckled-appearancewing-pattern-speciesNorth-American-endemismNearctic-distributiontranscontinental-rangeArctic-to-tropicsaltitudinal-generalisthabitat-generalistflower-fidelitynectar-dependencecarbohydrate-requirementshigh-metabolic-raterapid-wing-beatthermoregulatory-behaviorsun-baskingpre-flight-warm-uppollen-transportincidental-pollinationnon-deliberate-pollen-collectionhairy-bodysetae-for-pollen-adhesionmimicry-of-beesBatesian-mimicrypredator-avoidancedefensive-resemblanceflower-constancyforaging-rangenest-provisioning-interferencelarval-food-usurpationhost-larva-consumptionhost-killingtrue-parasitoididiobiont-or-koinobiont-uncertaindevelopmental-timing-with-hostsynchronized-life-cycleseasonal-activity-overlap-with-hostspopulation-dynamics-linked-to-hostsnatural-biological-controlecosystem-service-trade-offpollination-benefit-vs.-pollinator-costnative-bee-conservation-concernmanaged-bee-riskalfalfa-leafcutter-bee-parasitemegachilid-parasitehalictid-parasiteandrenid-parasitecolletid-parasitesphecid-parasitecrabronid-parasitepemphredonid-parasiteapid-parasitemultiple-host-familieshost-breadthgeneralist-parasitoidopportunistic-parasitefacultative-parasitenest-substrate-generalistsoil-nesting-hostsburrow-nesting-hostsground-nesting-Hymenoptera-specialistcavity-nesting-parasite-occasionalwood-nesting-parasite-occasionalstem-nesting-parasite-occasionalpith-nesting-parasite-occasionalbee-block-parasitebee-hotel-parasiteartificial-nest-parasiteconservation-management-implicationbee-hotel-design-considerationparasite-screening-for-bee-hotelsnative-bee-protectionsustainable-agriculture-conflictintegrated-pest-management-considerationbiological-control-agentnatural-enemy-conservationhabitat-management-for-parasitoidsmeadow-conservationprairie-conservationfire-maintained-habitatearly-successional-habitatdisturbance-dependent-speciesopen-habitat-specialistshade-intolerantforest-edge-speciesriparian-meadow-specieswet-meadow-speciesdry-prairie-speciessand-prairie-speciesclay-soil-speciesloam-soil-speciessoil-texture-generalistelevation-range-broadsea-level-to-alpinecoastal-plain-speciesinterior-plain-speciesmountain-speciesdesert-edge-speciesarid-land-tolerancemesic-habitat-preferencehydric-habitat-occasionalxeric-habitat-occasionaltemperature-tolerance-broadcold-climate-adaptedwarm-climate-adaptedfreeze-toleranceheat-toleranceclimate-generalistweather-dependent-activitysunny-weather-preferencewind-tolerance-moderaterain-avoidancehumidity-tolerance-moderatedrought-toleranceseasonal-drought-survivalaestivation-possiblediapause-uncertainoverwintering-stage-unknownpupal-overwintering-likelyadult-longevity-brieflarval-duration-variabledevelopmental-plasticitytemperature-dependent-developmentdegree-day-requirements-unknownvoltinism-uncertainunivoltine-possiblebivoltine-possiblemultivoltine-possiblegeneration-overlapcontinuous-emergence-possiblepeak-activity-springpeak-activity-summerautumn-activity-occasionalwinter-inactivityadult-emergence-synchronized-with-host-emergenceprovisioning-period-exploitationhost-larval-stage-specificityhost-instar-preference-uncertainsecond-instar-host-possiblethird-instar-host-possiblefinal-instar-host-preferenceprepupal-host-possiblepupal-host-unlikelyhost-size-range-broadsmall-host-exploitationlarge-host-exploitationsingle-host-per-larvasolitary-developmentgregarious-development-rarecompetition-with-conspecificssuperparasitism-possiblemultiple-eggs-per-host-possiblehost-discrimination-uncertainoviposition-deterrent-uncertainmarking-behavior-unknownlearning-behavior-possiblespatial-memory-for-nestsvisual-host-locationolfactory-host-locationchemical-cue-followingvibrational-cue-detectionnest-entrance-recognitionburrow-depth-assessmentegg-placement-precisionsubterranean-ovipositionsurface-egg-depositionegg-survival-without-host-contacthatching-trigger-unknownlarval-search-behaviorburrow-penetration-abilityhost-location-within-nestattachment-site-selectionventral-attachment-typicaldorsal-attachment-possiblelateral-attachment-possiblethoracic-attachmentabdominal-attachmentcephalic-attachment-rarecaudal-attachment-raresu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