Biology and immature stages of the clam-killing fly, Renocera pallida (Diptera: Sciomyzidae)

The larva of the Palaearctic Renocera pallida (Fallén, 1820) is confirmed as a predator of small species of bivalve molluscs of the family Sphaeriidae. To date only the larvae of three Nearctic Renocera species (and larvae of two other species of Sciomyzidae in two genera) are known to have the same food preference. The life cycle, biology, larval feeding and behaviour are described for the first time and compared with that of the Nearctic Renocera. The systematic position and biology of Renocera in general are discussed. Descriptions of the egg, second and third larval instars and the puparium of R. pallida are presented, the main features of the egg and larvae are illustrated by scanning electron micrographs.

Abstract licence: CC BY

A person counts once a day per paper. We keep no cookie and no address: a reader is a hash that changes every day. Any month under five reads shows no number.