''Cylindromyia interrupta'' is a

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), ...

fly Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Tachinidae The Tachinidae are a large and variable family of true fly, flies within the insect order Fly, Diptera, with more than 8,200 known species and many more to be discovered. Over 1,300 species have been described in North America alone. Insects in t ...

Distribution and habitat

This species is present in most of Europe, Russia and in North America ( Alaska to California, North Dakota, Colorado and New Jersey). These tachinid flies live in hedge rows and dry meadows.Commanster
/ref>

Description

''Cylindromyia interrupta'' can reach a length of and a

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

of .John Sanke
Insects in an Urban Garden - Diptera
/ref> Body is slender. Thorax is black, while the abdomen is reddish with two silver rings, a wide longitudinal black marking and black apical tergites. Hind tibiae have 1 or 2 posteroventral bristles. Apical scutellars are absent. The abdomen has median discal bristles on tergites 1, 2, 3 and 4. The bright white calypteres stand out.

Biology

Adults can be found from May to August. They mainly feed on nectar and pollen of ''

Apiaceae Apiaceae () or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium,'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot, or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering p ...

'' (especially ''

Leucanthemum vulgare ''Leucanthemum vulgare'', commonly known as the ox-eye daisy, oxeye daisy, dog daisy, marguerite (, "common marguerite") and other common names, is a widespread flowering plant native to Europe and the temperate regions of Asia, and an introduced ...

''). This tachnid fly parasitizes moths and true bugs (

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising more than 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from ...

). The larvae develop inside the living host.The Tachinid Times
/ref>

References

Phasiinae Diptera of North America Diptera of Europe Diptera of Asia Insects described in 1824 Taxa named by Johann Wilhelm Meigen {{phasiinae-stub