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Robber-flies
The Asilidae are the robber fly family, also called assassin flies. They are powerfully built, bristly flies with a short, stout proboscis enclosing the sharp, sucking hypopharynx. The name "robber flies" reflects their expert predatory habits; they feed mainly or exclusively on other insects and, as a rule, they wait in ambush and catch their prey in flight. Overview The Asilidae are a family in the order Diptera, the true flies. The common name for members of the family is robber flies, a name first suggested in 1869 by Alpheus Packard based on the German "Raubfliegen" (predatory flies). The Asilidae are cosmopolitan, with over 7000 described species. Latreille was the authority for establishing the family in 1802. The Asilidae, together with Bombyliidae and Therevidae, are the most representative families of the superfamily of Asiloidea and they form one of the most characteristic groups of the lower Brachycera. Robber flies have stout, spiny legs and three simple eyes (oc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Promachus Leoninus
In Greek mythology and History of Greece, history, Promachus (; Ancient Greek: Πρόμαχος; English language, English translation: "who leads in battle" or "champion") is a name that refers to several different people. ''Mythology'' *Promachus, son of Aeson. King of Iolcus, and Alcimede or Amphinome. He was killed by Pelias along with his father, while his older brother, Jason, searched for the Golden Fleece. *Promachus, son of Parthenopaeus and one of the Epigoni, who attacked the city of Thebes, Greece, Thebes to avenge their fathers, the Seven against Thebes, who died attempting the same thing. Promachus died in the attack, and was buried nearby at Teumessus. *Promachus, son of Alegenor, from Boeotia, a Achaeans (Homer), Greek warrior in the ''Iliad'' who was killed by Acamas (son of Antenor), Acamas. *Promachus, son of Heracles and Psophis (mythology), Psophis, brother of Echephron. *Promachus, one of the Suitors of Penelope, Suitors of Penelope from Homer's Ithaca, Ithaca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Proboscis
A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular arthropod mouthparts, mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a proboscis is an elongated nose or snout. Etymology First attested in English in 1609 from Latin , the latinisation (literature), latinisation of the Ancient Greek (), which comes from () 'forth, forward, before' + (), 'to feed, to nourish'. The plural as derived from the Greek is , but in English the plural form ''proboscises'' occurs frequently. Invertebrates The most common usage is to refer to the tubular feeding and sucking organ of certain invertebrates such as insects (e.g., Insect mouthparts#Proboscis, moths, butterflies, and mosquitoes), worms (including Acanthocephala, Nemertea, proboscis worms) and gastropod molluscs. Acanthocephala The Acanthocephala, the thorny-headed worms or spiny-headed worms, are characterized by the pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Compound Eye
A compound eye is a Eye, visual organ found in arthropods such as insects and crustaceans. It may consist of thousands of ommatidium, ommatidia, which are tiny independent photoreception units that consist of a cornea, lens (anatomy), lens, and photoreceptor cells which distinguish brightness and color. The image perceived by this arthropod eye is a combination of inputs from the numerous ommatidia, which are oriented to point in slightly different directions. Compared with single-aperture eyes, compound eyes have poor image resolution; however, they possess a very large view angle and the ability to detect fast movement and, in some cases, the Polarization (waves), polarization of light. Because a compound eye is made up of a collection of ommatidia, each with its own lens, light will enter each ommatidium instead of using a single entrance point. The individual light receptors behind each lens are then turned on and off due to a series of changes in the light intensity during mov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ocellus
A simple eye or ocellus (sometimes called a pigment pit) is a form of eye or an optical arrangement which has a single lens without the sort of elaborate retina that occurs in most vertebrates. These eyes are called "simple" to distinguish them from " compound eyes", which have multiple lenses. They are not necessarily simple in the sense of being uncomplicated or basic. The structure of an animal's eye is determined by the environment in which it lives, and the behavioural tasks it must fulfill to survive. Arthropods differ widely in the habitats in which they live, as well as their visual requirements for finding food or conspecifics, and avoiding predators. Consequently, an enormous variety of eye types are found in arthropods to overcome visual problems or limitations. Use of the term ''simple eye'' is flexible, and must be interpreted in proper context; for example, the eyes of most large animals are '' camera eyes'' and are sometimes considered "simple" because a sing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brachycera
The Brachycera are a suborder of the order Diptera. It is a major suborder consisting of around 120 families. Their most distinguishing characteristic is reduced antenna segmentation. Description A summary of the main physical characteristics is: * Antenna size (with eight or fewer flagellomeres) is reduced. In many species the third segment, the flagellum, is fused, except from a bristle called the arista that is sticking out from the fused flagellum. The arista consist of no more than three segments called aristomeres. * The maxillary palp (an elongated appendage near the mouth) has two segments or fewer. * The back portions of the larval head capsule extend into the prothorax (the anterior part of the thorax, which bears the first pair of legs). * Two distinct parts make up of the larval mandible (lower jaw). * The epandrium and hypandrium of the genitalia are separated in males. * No premandible is present on the lower surface of the labrum (the roof of the mout ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asiloidea
The Asiloidea comprise a very large Taxonomic rank, superfamily insects in the order fly, Diptera, the true fly, flies. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring worldwide. It includes the family Bombyliidae, the bee flies, which are parasitoids, and the Asilidae, the robber flies, which are predators of other insects. Description Adult Asiloidea are large and showy flies in terms of general appearance. They can be recognised by the following features: Antenna (biology), antenna with no more than 4 flagellomeres, leg empodium usually setiform or absent; wing with cell cup elongate and vein CuA2 ending freely on the wing margin or meeting with vein A1 at or near the wing margin. In families Mydidae, Apioceridae, and Asilidae, the head is at least slightly concave between the eyes and the Simple eye in invertebrates, ocelli, and both sexes are dichoptic (with a clear separation between the eyes). In Therevidae, Apsilocephalidae, and Scenopinidae, the males are usually Holoptic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Therevidae
The Therevidae are a family of flies of the superfamily Asiloidea commonly known as stiletto flies. The family contains about 1,600 described species worldwide, most diverse in arid and semiarid regions with sandy soils. The larvae are predators of insect larvae in soil. Description Adult Therevidae are small- to medium-sized with a body length of 2.4 to 18 mm and a hairy integument. The coloration ranges from shades of yellow to black, but commonly the background colour is masked by the tomentum (anatomy), tomentum. The compound eyes are generally larger in males, which in many species are actually Arthropod eye#Anatomical distribution of compound eyes, holoptic. Females have well-developed compound eyes, but are clearly Arthropod eye#Anatomical distribution of compound eyes, dichoptic. There are three ocelli. The antennae are relatively short. The scape is elongated, the pedicel very short, and the first Glossary of entomology terms, flagellomere is conical and elongated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bombyliidae
The Bombyliidae are a family of flies, commonly known as bee flies. Some are colloquially known as bomber flies. Adults generally feed on nectar and pollen, some being important pollinators. Larvae are mostly parasitoids of other insects. Overview The Bombyliidae are a large family of flies comprising hundreds of genera, but the life cycles of most species are poorly known, or not at all. Their size varies between species ranging from 2 mm long to a 40 mm wingspan making them some of the largest flies. When at rest, many species hold their wings at a characteristic "swept back" angle. Adults generally feed on nectar and pollen, some being important pollinators, often with spectacularly long proboscises adapted to plants such as '' Lapeirousia'' species with very long, narrow floral tubes. Unlike butterflies, bee flies hold their proboscis straight, and cannot retract it. Many Bombyliidae superficially resemble bees and accordingly the prevalent common name for a member of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology (biology), morphology, behaviour, or ecological niche. In addition, palaeontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. The most recent rigorous estimate for the total number of species of eukaryotes is between 8 and 8.7 million. About 14% of these had been described by 2011. All species (except viruses) are given a binomial nomenclature, two-part name, a "binomen". The first part of a binomen is the name of a genus to which the species belongs. The second part is called the specific name (zoology), specific name or the specific ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cosmopolitan Distribution
In biogeography, a cosmopolitan distribution is the range of a taxon that extends across most or all of the surface of the Earth, in appropriate habitats; most cosmopolitan species are known to be highly adaptable to a range of climatic and environmental conditions, though this is not always so. Killer whales ( orcas) are among the most well-known cosmopolitan species on the planet, as they maintain several different resident and transient (migratory) populations in every major oceanic body on Earth, from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica and every coastal and open-water region in-between. Such a taxon (usually a species) is said to have a ''cosmopolitan'' distribution, or exhibit cosmopolitanism, as a species; another example, the rock dove (commonly referred to as a ' pigeon'), in addition to having been bred domestically for centuries, now occurs in most urban areas around the world. The extreme opposite of a cosmopolitan species is an endemic (native) species, or one foun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alpheus Spring Packard
Alpheus Spring Packard Jr. LL.D. (February 19, 1839 – February 14, 1905) was an American entomologist and palaeontologist. He described over 500 new animal species – especially butterflies and moths – and was one of the founders of '' The American Naturalist''.Cockerell (1920) He served as a professor at Brown University. Early life Packard was one of four sons of Alpheus Spring Packard Sr. (1798–1884) and the brother of William Alfred Packard. He was born in Brunswick, Maine, and went to the Bowdoin College where his father was a professor of Greek and Latin. His mother, Frances Elizabeth, who died shortly after his birth was the daughter of Rev. Appleton who had served as president of Bowdoin College, and Alpha as he was known was raised by an aunt He was encouraged by Paul A. Chadbourne of Williams College to take up zoology. As a member of the Lyceum of Natural History he joined an expedition to Labrador and Greenland. In 1861 he received his bachelors degree. He we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Order (biology)
Order () is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and recognized by the nomenclature codes. An immediately higher rank, superorder, is sometimes added directly above order, with suborder directly beneath order. An order can also be defined as a group of related families. What does and does not belong to each order is determined by a taxonomist, as is whether a particular order should be recognized at all. Often there is no exact agreement, with different taxonomists each taking a different position. There are no hard rules that a taxonomist needs to follow in describing or recognizing an order. Some taxa are accepted almost universally, while others are recognized only rarely. The name of an order is usually written with a capital letter. For some groups of organisms, their orders may follow consist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
