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Background The present study is one in a series of planned studies aiming to catalogue the whole order Diptera in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia. New information All known Egyptian and Saudi Arabian conopid taxa are systematically catalogued in the present study. Three species are recorded herein for the first time from Saudi Arabia: Conops (Asiconops) elegans Meigen, 1804 and Thecophora atra (Fabricius, 1775) (Al-Baha region, south-western of Saudi Arabia), and Conops (Conops) quadrifasciatus De Geer, 1776 (Tabuk region, north-western of Saudi Arabia). Physocephala variegata (Meigen, 1924) is also recorded for the first time from Gebel Elba, the south-eastern triangle of Egypt. Considering that Gebel Elba in Egypt and Al-Baha in Saudi Arabia are affiliated to the Afrotropical Region, this is the first time Physocephala variegata and Thecophora atra have been recorded from the Afrotropical Region. An updated taxonomy, world and local distributions, dates of collection and some coloured photographs are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conopid fly Physocephala inhabilis (Walker) is newly recorded as parasitoid of the native bee Megachile (Sayapis) bomplandensis (Durante). We also document an unidentified species of Physocephala parasitizing a Megachile (Chrysosarus) sp. in Argentina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floral resources and natural enemies are considered important drivers of wild bee population dynamics, yet there is little information on how these factors, either independently or in combination, influence the demographic performance of bees. Bumble bees (Bombus spp.), ecologically important social insects, have long colony cycles lasting many weeks. Food shortfalls during the colony lifetime can result in smaller colony sizes and lower reproductive output. Conopid flies (Conopidae, Diptera) are prevalent endoparasitoids of bumble bees, often infecting high percentages of free‐flying individuals. Conopids can reduce worker life span and foraging efficiency; consequently, they may negatively affect colony success. In this study, we evaluated how seasonal variability in food resources and conopid parasitism together influence the productivity of bumble bee colonies through construction of a simulation model. In addition to simulating colony performance in relation to a defined food environment and conopid‐induced worker mortality, we evaluated how daily background mortality risk and the timing of colony initiation affected growth and reproductive outcomes of colonies, as well as the degree of influence exerted by conopids. Model parameters were largely informed by field data collected from Bombus impatiens colonies at our study site (Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce, Virginia, USA), including data on forager risk of conopid parasitism as assessed using radio‐frequency identification (RFID) technology. In spite of the high probability of parasitism (4% per hour of flight during seasonal peak) incorporated into our model simulations, lethal parasitism by conopids generally had a modest influence on colony productivity, reducing reproductive output by 15% or less across most tested scenarios. However, conopids were more influential under very low resource conditions, reducing reproductive output by 21–28%. Inclusion of sublethal effects of conopids on foraging activity further reduced colony performance in all scenarios, but had a greater impact on colony performance under the poorest resource conditions. This work emphasizes that the importance of natural enemies to the demographic performance of bees can increase under certain environmental conditions and highlights the value of using models to consider multiple stressors that are difficult to evaluate simultaneously in field experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearctic Stylogaster Macquart (Diptera: Conopidae) species concepts are revised. We provide redescriptions of S. biannulata (Say) and S. neglecta Williston, description of S. beresfordinew species, an illustrated key to species, range maps, and ecological data. Stylogaster beresfordi ranges from southern Mexico to southern New Mexico, United States of America. DNA barcode data are provided with neighbour-joining and Bayesian analyses and relationships of the three species are discussed. We hypothesise that S. neglecta and S. beresfordi are sister taxa, while S. biannulata is in a different clade. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Faunistic data for 12 species in the subfamilies Myopinea, Sicinae and Zodioninae of the family Conopidae in Iran are provided. The specimens were collected from Qaradagh Forests (located in East Azerbaijan province, northwest of Iran) during 2009-2013. The following species are recorded for the first time in Iran include Myopa buccata (Linnaeus, 1758), Myopa pellucida (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830), Myopa picta Panzer, 1798, Thecophora atra (Fabricius, 1775), Thecophora cinerascens Meigen, 1804 and Thecophora fulvipes (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830). The genus Sicus Ratreille, 1795 is also recorded for the first time but cannot currently be identified to species. A list of the genera and species is provided along with notes on diagnostic characters, geographical distribution, and supplementary figures of the studied species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article discusses the eclosion of Conopidae (Diptera) flies from hymenopteran hosts such as Apoidea, or bumblebees (Bombus). Topics include the analysis of parasitized Apoidea data, research on parasitoid emergence, a video record of Physocephala tibialis reared from Bombus impatiens, and the use of body parts such as the ptilinum, mouthparts, and legs for eclosion. Insect ecology and life history are also mentioned.

Members of the family Conopidae (Diptera) have been the focus of little targeted phylogenetic research. The most comprehensive test of phylogenetic support for the present subfamily classification of Conopidae is presented here using 66 specimens, including 59 species of Conopidae and seven outgroup taxa. Relationships among subfamily clades are also explored. A total of 6824 bp of DNA sequence data from five gene regions (12S ribosomal DNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, cytochrome b, 28S ribosomal DNA and alanyl-tRNA synthetase) are combined with 111 morphological characters in a combined analysis using both parsimony and Bayesian methods. Parsimony analysis recovers three shortest trees. Bayesian analysis recovers a nearly identical tree. Five monophyletic subfamilies of Conopidae are recovered. The rarely acknowledged Zodioninae is restored, including the genera Zodion and Parazodion. The genus Sicus is removed from Myopinae. Morphological synapomorphies are discussed for each subfamily and inter-subfamily clade, including a comprehensive review of the character interpretaions of previous authors. Included are detailed comparative illustrations of male and female genitalia of representatives of all five subfamilies with new morphological interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All global genera of the fly family Conopidae are revised here. A cladistic analysis of 117 morphological characters recorded from 154 species, including representatives of 59 genera and subgenera, recovers a phylogenetic hypothesis for the family. This hypothesis is used as the basis of a new classification for the family. Both Sicini and Zodionini are removed from Myopinae and elevated to subfamilial status. A new tribe, Thecophorini, is proposed within Myopinae to accommodate Thecophora, Scatoccemyia, and Pseudoconops. Two genera, Pseudomyopa and Parazodion, are removed from Dalmanniinae and placed in Myopinae and Zodioninae, respectively. Conopinae is divided into 11 tribes, seven of which are newly described ( Asiconopini, Caenoconopini, Gyroconopini, Microconopini, Neoconopini, and Siniconopini). Some examined species are transferred to different or new genera and subgenera. A new genus, Schedophysoconops gen. nov., and subgenus Asiconops ( Aegloconops) subgen. nov. within Conopinae are described. A review of character evolution and phylogeography is included in light of the new classification. A catalogue of all genus-group names is included with new emendations noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical species of Stylogaster Macquart is presented and 21 new species are described: S. acanthocercus sp. n., S. amplicercus sp. n., S. clementsi sp. n. (all Madagascar), S. copelandi sp. n. (Kenya), S. fanjae sp. n., S. hauseri sp. n., S. hirsutifemora sp. n., S. irwini sp. n. (all Madagascar), S. kakamegensis sp. n., S. kenyensis sp. n. (both Kenya), S. kirkspriggsi sp. n. (South Africa), S. kroeberi sp. n., S. latifrons sp. n., S. parkeri sp. n., S. pseudofanjae sp. n., S. ranomafanensis sp. n., S. rinhaii sp. n., S. schachti sp. n., S. smithi sp. n., S. spinicercus sp. n., and S. stuckenbergi sp. n. (all Madagascar). A lectotype is designated for S. seyrigi Séguy, 1932 and a neotype for S. frontalis Kröber, 1914. The male terminalia of S. frontalis Kröber, 1914, S. pauliana Camras, 1962, S. malgachensis Camras, 1962, S. seguyi Camras, 1962 and S. seyrigi Séguy, 1932 are illustrated for the first time. New faunistic records are presented for nine previously described species of Stylogaster. An identification key to Afrotropical Stylogaster is presented. A total of 34 valid species of the genus are now known from the Afrotropical Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a study related to hilltopping in insects belonging to the subfamilies Myopinae and Dalmanniinae, which is behavior of males aggregating on a peak and mating with the females flying there. It further informs that several studies were previously conducted for studying hilltoping in species including Conopidae. It mentions that hilltoping is a strategy which is adopted for mate finding in insects which includes rare species or widely dispersed species.

Abstract: The first attempt to phylogenetically place Conopidae using molecular characters, as well as the largest molecular analysis of relationships within Schizophora (Diptera) to date, is presented. Twenty-eight taxa from 11 acalyptrate families and seven acalyptrate superfamilies are represented. Nearly 12,800bp of sequence data from 10 genes representing both mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I (COI), cytochrome b (cytB), and 12S) and nuclear genes (28S, the carbamoyl phosphate synthetase region of CAD (CAD), elongation factor-1α (EF-1α), white, alanyl-tRNA synthetase (AATS), triose phosphate isomerase (TPI), and phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD)) are analysed. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses strongly support the monophyly of both Conopidae and Schizophora. While in the parsimony analysis, Conopidae are placed as sister to the remaining Schizophora, the Bayesian analysis recovers a Conopidae+Lauxaniidae clade. The value of nuclear, mitochondrial, ribosomal, and protein-coding gene sequence data for answering phylogenetic questions at different levels of divergence is evaluated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Males of Conops quadrifasciata “claim” females in late morning and then spend the rest of the day exposed as “riders” to attacks by other males. Male riders can respond to an attack by performing an abdomen‐lift which denies the attacker access to the female's genitalia. Attacking males can tailor their behaviour to suit the prevailing conditions. If a rider is engaged in a “repeat” copulation (as he does at regular intervals), the attacker “waits” beside the rider. If the rider is not in genitalic contact with the female, the attacker tries to mate with her immediately. It is proposed that females deliberately expose their riders to takeovers in order to gain the fittest mate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of host size and host species on the prevalence and fitness of conopid flies (Diptera: Conopidae) parasitizing bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) were investigated. Field data from nine sites across south-western Alberta, Canada, showed that conopids parasitized, on average, 12.3% of workers and 3.5% of male bees. In general, bee mass was a better predictor of host use and conopid offspring size than bee species. Host mass could not, however, explain the very low prevalence of conopids in the long-tongued bumblebee, Bombus californicus Smith, or in male bees in general. Conopids predominately infested bees of intermediate size, and as a result, occurred most commonly in the intermediately sized species, B. flavifrons Cresson. Host quality, in terms of conopid offspring size, increased as a non-linear function of bee size. The results are discussed with respect to the impact of conopids on bumblebee populations, and the relation between host quality and patterns of host use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]