Dipalta

Dipalta
Dipalta sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Suborder:	Brachycera
Infraorder:	Asilomorpha
Superfamily:	Asiloidea
Family:	Bombyliidae
Subfamily:	Anthracinae
Tribe:	Exoprosopini
Genus:	Dipalta Osten Sacken, 1877
Type species
Dipalta serpentina Osten Sacken, 1877[1]

Dipalta is a genus of flies belonging to the family Bombyliidae (bee-flies). The genus is closely related to Villa^[1]

Description

Medium sized flies, with a conical face. and 3 marginal wing cells, on mottled wings with erratic wing vaination. Wing length 10-13mm, body length 9-10mm. Both species and very variable, Hull suggests there could be other species, or only one very variable one.^[1]

Distribution

One species is from Mexico and the western United States. and the other from Virginia and Ohio.^[1]

Ecology

Adults are found on low growing flowers in desert areas. Lavae are parasitic on ant lions.^[1]

Species

• D. banksi Johnson, 1921
• D. serpentina Osten Sacken, 1877

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References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Hull, F.M. (1973) (in English). Bee flies of the world. The genera of the family Bombyliidae. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press. pp. 687 pp. ISBN 0874741319.