Craticulina

Craticulina
Craticulina
Craticulina seriata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Sarcophagidae
Subfamily: Miltogramminae
Genus: Craticulina
Bezzi, 1906
Species
  • C. barbifera (Pandellé, 1895)
  • C. diffusa Villeneuve, 1934)
  • C. genesae Verves, 2000)
  • C. tabaniformis (Fabricius, 1805)
A Craticulina which has found the lair of a sand wasp
South African species of Craticulina, kleptoparasite of Philanthus, grooming with hind legs while awaiting host

Craticulina is a genus of true flies in the family Sarcophagidae. They are cleptoparasites of various species of sand wasps. They are ovoviviparous, laying larvae instead of eggs. The larvae share the prey of the sand wasp, and though they are much smaller than the wasps, there may be many fly larvae to each wasp larva, causing food to run short. Sometimes the fly larvae also attack the wasp larvae while they are small, especially if there are many fly larvae, and too little food.

The flies are sand coloured, which no doubt helps camouflage them, but at least some species of host take evasive action when Craticulina are present, though it is not clear how effectively.

Stub icon This article related to members of the insect order Diptera (true flies) is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.