Bengalia

Bengalia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Calliphoridae
Subfamily: Bengaliinae
Genus: Bengalia
Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830[1]
Type species
Bengalia testacea
Species

>65 species, see text

Synonyms
  • Ochromyia Macquart, 1835
  • Anisomyia Walker, 1859
  • Homodexia Bigot, 1885
  • Parabengalia Roubaud, 1913
  • Pollenoides Matsumura, 1916
  • Eubengalia Townsend, 1926
  • Afridigalia Lehrer, 2005
  • Ashokiana Lehrer, 2005
  • Bezzigalia Lehrer, 2005
  • Gangelomyia Lehrer, 2005
  • Kenypyga Lehrer, 2005
  • Laoziana Lehrer, 2005
  • Maraviola Lehrer, 2005
  • Ochromyia Lehrer, 2005 (Homo.)
  • Shakaniella Lehrer, 2005
  • Temaseka Lehrer, 2005
  • Tsunamia Lehrer, 2005
  • Sindhigalia Lehrer, 2006
  • Anshuniana Lehrer, 2010 (Nom. Nud.)
  • Anshuniana Lehrer & Wei, 2010[2]

Bengalia is a genus of blow flies in the family Calliphoridae with one authority considering the genus to belong to a separate family Bengaliidae.[3] These bristly and, unlike the greens and blues of most calliphorids, dull coloured flies, are especially noted for their relationship to ants. Little is known of their biology and life-cycle, although adults of many species are kleptoparasitic on ants and will snatch food and pupae being carried by ants or feed on winged termites.[4][5][6] The apt name “Highwayman Fly” was given by an early observer of their way of robbing ants.[6] Very little is known about their breeding habits. The genus is found in the Afrotropical and oriental region with one species from Australia possibly a recent introduction.

  1. ^ Rognes K (2009). "Revision of the Oriental species of the Bengalia peuhi species-group (Diptera, Calliphoridae)". Zootaxa. 2251: 1–76. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2251.1.1. hdl:11250/182357.
  2. ^ Rognes, K. (2011b). A review of the monophyly and composition of the Bengaliinae with the description of a new genus and species, and new evidence for the presence of Melanomyinae in the Afrotropical Region (Diptera, Calliphoridae). Zootaxa, 2964(1), 1–60. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2964.1.1
  3. ^ Lehrer, A.Z., 2003, Bengaliidae n. fam. Une nouvelle famille de Diptera Cyclorrhapha. Entom. Croat., 7(1-2) :5-14
  4. ^ Sivinski, J., S. Marshall and E. Petersson (1999) Kleptoparasitism and phoresy in the diptera. Florida Entomologist 82(2) [1] Archived 2008-09-10 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Bequaert, Joseph Charles); Wheeler, William Morton; American Museum Congo Expedition (1922). "The predaceous enemies of ants". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 45, article 1, part 3. New York: American Museum of Natural History: 271–331.
  6. ^ a b MELLOR, J. E. M. "NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. Notes on a "Bengalia"-like Fly, Which I Have Called the "Highwayman" Fly, and Its Behaviour towards Certain Species of Ants." Sudan Notes and Records 5, no. 2 (1922): 95-100. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41715637.