Stylogastrinae
Guides
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.
Stylogaster neglecta
Stylogaster neglecta is a species of conopid fly (family Conopidae) first described by Williston in 1883. It is a parasitoid with a documented host association with the black-horned tree cricket (Oecanthus nigricornis). Larvae emerge from juvenile hosts during late summer after an estimated 30-day incubation period, killing the host in the process. The species has been recorded from southern Ontario, Canada and the northeastern United States.