Braulidae

Taxobox
name = Braulidae
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Hexapoda
classis = Insecta
subclassis = Pterygota
infraclassis = Neoptera
superordo = Endopterygota|
ordo = Diptera
subordo = Brachycera
infraordo = Muscomorpha
zoosectio = Schizophora
zoosubsectio = Acalyptratae
superfamilia = Carnoidea
familia = Braulidae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = *"Braula" Nitzsch, 1818
*"Megabraula"

The family Braulidae (Diptera), or bee lice, contains eight species in two genera, "Braula" and "Megabraula". These are very unusual flies, wingless and flattened, and barely recognizable as Diptera. "Braula coeca" Nitzsch is a pest of honey bees. The larvae tunnel through the wax honeycomb and the adults are found on the bodies of honey bees. There is some debate as to whether the bee louse causes damage to the honey bee. These flies sometimes can be found at places where bees congregate such as flowers or salt licks, waiting to grab onto hosts from uninfested nests. "Braula" is cosmopolitan and about 1.6 mm in length. "Megabraula" is found in Nepal and is 3 mm in length

External links

* [http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/bees/beelouse.htm "Braula coeca", beelouse] on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
* [http://photo.bees.net/gallery/otherpest/beelouse Photograph of a Bee Louse]