Synonyms | grossa (Linnaeus, 1758 - Musca) |
Comments | Variable sized but always large (>15mm), black body with yellow head |
Shaw & Ford (1991) | Lasiocampa quercus (L.): 1 male, p., 1982, Surrey (B.T.P.). The largest European tachinid, regularly attacking larvae of the Lasiocampidae, and emerging as an adult from the host pupa. |
Belshaw (1993) | Hosts: mainly Lasiocampa quercus (7 British records) and Macroth ylacia rubi (2 British records) (both Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae). In Europe also other large hairy Lepidoptera larvae: Lasiocampa trifolii (1), Dendrolimus spp (3) (Lasiocampidae), Lymantria dispar (2) (Lep.: Lymantriidae) and Hyloicus pinastri (1) (Sphingidae). Emden (1954) also lists Euproctis chrysorrhoea (Lymantriidae) and Hemaris fuciformis (Lep.: Sphingidae) as hosts.
British distribution: S.England, Midlands (Warwick and Staffs), Wales, N.England, S.Scotland (Dumfries and Kirkcudbright*), N.Scotland and Ireland (Kerry, Waterford, Mayo, Wicklow, Galway, Louth, Kildare, Clare, Antrim, Tipperary, Down, Dublin, Wexford* and Fermanagh*). The majority of British records are from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and the New Forest (Hants).
Habitat: heathland and open woodland (Herting, 1960). Flight period: July and August (at least 50 records). |
Tschorsnig & Herting (1994) | [Echinomyia]. Europe to Scandinavia; SH NS NW HE RP BW BY NB / A CH. Thin woodland areas of heath. End June to Early September 1 generation (in Southern Europe possibly 2 generations). Visits flowers; usually rare locally and however frequent in some years. Macrothylacia rubi L. and Lasiocampa quercus L. (Lasiocampidae) rare a few other Lasiocampidae and Lymantriidae reported. |
JNCC review (1996) | - |
Shaw & Ford (2000) | Macrothylacia rubi (L.): 1 female 24.iii.98 22.v.98 Beeley Moor Derbyshire (BS). |
Subfamily | TACHININAE |
Tribe | TACHININI |
NBN code |
NBNSYS0000030132 |
BRC code |
15702 |
Status | Local |
BENHS drawer | 8.5 12 |
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