Braula
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''Braula'' is a genus of
flies Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwin ...
(Diptera) in the family
Braulidae Braulidae, or bee lice, is a family of true flies (''Diptera'') with seven species in two genera, '' Braula'' and '' Megabraula''. They are found in honey bee colonies due to their phoretic, inquiline, and kleptoparasitic relationships with ...
. These are very unusual flies, wingless and flattened, and barely recognizable as Diptera. '' Braula coeca'' Nitzsch is a pest of
honey bees A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to mainland Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the ...
. The larvae tunnel through the
wax Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to give lo ...
honeycomb A honeycomb is a mass of Triangular prismatic honeycomb#Hexagonal prismatic honeycomb, hexagonal prismatic cells built from beeswax by honey bees in their beehive, nests to contain their brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) and stores of honey and pol ...
and the adults are found on the bodies of honey bees. There is some debate 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.


Species

*'' Braula coeca'' Nitzsch, 1818 *'' Braula kohli'' Schmitz, 1914 *'' Braula orientalis'' Òròsi Pál, 1963 *'' Braula pretoriensis'' Òròsi Pál, 1939 *'' Braula schmitzi'' Òròsi Pál, 1939


References


External links


''Braula coeca'', bee louse
on the
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
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Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...
''Featured Creatures'' website
Photograph of a bee louse
Braulidae Western honey bee pests Carnoidea genera Diptera of Europe Diptera of Africa Diptera of Asia Diptera of North America Diptera of South America Diptera of Australasia Wingless Diptera Taxa named by Christian Ludwig Nitzsch {{Carnoidea-stub