Thick-headed-fly
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 nigriceps
Dalmannia nigriceps is a species of thick-headed fly described by Loew in 1866. It belongs to the genus Dalmannia within the family Conopidae, a group of parasitic flies known for their distinctive head morphology. The species has been documented in the northeastern United States, particularly Vermont.
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.
Dalmanniinae
Dalmanniinae is a subfamily of thick-headed flies (family Conopidae) within the order Diptera. Members of this subfamily are distinguished from other conopids by specific morphological features of the head and wing venation. The subfamily contains genera such as Dalmannia and Zodion, which are primarily found in the Holarctic region. These flies are parasitoids, with larvae developing within the bodies of Hymenoptera hosts.
Myopa clausa
Thick-headed Fly
Myopa clausa is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae, a group of parasitic flies known for their stout build and broad heads. Like other conopids, this species is an internal parasite of bees and wasps. The genus Myopa is seldom recorded, partly due to identification difficulties.
Myopa rubida
Myopa rubida is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae, first described by Bigot in 1887. Like all conopids, it is an internal parasite of bees and wasps. The genus Myopa is seldom recorded, partly due to identification difficulties. Species in this genus are sometimes known as 'beegrabbers' for their habit of intercepting host insects in flight to oviposit eggs between abdominal segments.
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 texana
thick-headed fly
Physocephala texana is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae. It is an internal parasite of bumble bees, specifically Bombus vosnesenskii. The female fly intercepts bees in mid-air and forcibly deposits an egg between the host's abdominal segments. The larva develops inside the living bee, eventually killing it and pupating within the hollow exoskeleton. Adult flies are wasp mimics with elongated abdomens and heavily pigmented wing margins that resemble the folded wings of potter 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 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 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.
Stylogaster beresfordi
Stylogaster beresfordi is a species of thick-headed fly in the family Conopidae, described in 2014. It belongs to the distinctive subfamily Stylogastrinae, characterized by females possessing an extremely elongated, needle-like abdomen used for oviposition. The genus Stylogaster comprises approximately 92 described species distributed primarily in the Neotropics, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia, with only two species known from North America. Members of this genus are obligate internal parasites of crickets, cockroaches, and calyptrate flies.
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.
Zodioninae
Zodioninae is a subfamily of thick-headed flies (Conopidae) within the order Diptera. These flies are parasitoids, with females known to attack solitary bees and wasps by forcibly depositing eggs into the host's abdomen during flight. The subfamily contains approximately 20 described species, most assigned to the genus Zodion. They are distinguished from other conopids by reduced wing venation and characteristic abdominal morphology.