Revision of the Bee-killing Flies, Genus Melaloncha (Insecta: Diptera: Phoridae)

Los Angeles County Museum Of Natural History Foundation, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

DEB 0090031 Brian V. Brown Dr. Brian Brown of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History has been awarded a grant to revise the genus Melaloncha, commonly known as the bee-killing flies, a large group of phorid flies. All species are found in South and Central America, and all parasitize bees: bumble bees, stingless bees and the introduced western honey bee, Apis mellifera (thus they are potential agricultural pests in tropical countries). Thirty-two bee-killing fly species have been described, but many more have been collected and it is estimated that re-examination of this fascinating group will ultimately involve as many as 100 species. Relationships among the species will be investigated using structural characters of adult flies. This analysis will be used as a framework for examining host-parasitoid specialization, host switching and other behavioral traits. Field work to make further collections of Melaloncha associated with their host bees will be conducted in Bolivia, Costa Rica, Panama, and Brazil. Collecting of specimens in the field will result in knowledge of host-parasitoid relationships, allow males and females of Melaloncha species to be associated and will uncover further new species. Results from this study will include a taxonomic revision in two parts, including descriptions of species, relationships, keys for the identification of species, and color images on CD-ROM. Products on the World Wide Web will be the following: a web-based interactive identification key, web pages for each species, a web page for phorid-bee relationships (which will be extremely useful to beekeepers and bee ecologists), a digital image archive, a host-parasitoid list and a catalog with literature.