Mallophora ruficauda

M. ruficauda is a bumblebee mimic, meaning it appears very similar to a bumblebee despite actually being a fly. It is large and covered in dense black hair (setae) with a patch of yellow on the thorax, and has a pointed black abdomen with a spot of reddish hair at the tip. The wings are smoky brown and generate a buzzing sound during flight, similar to the wings of bees. The head is black and the face is covered in white hairs, which are also found on the ventral side of the femora, tibia, and tarsale of the third pair of legs in males. The third pair of legs is stronger and lengthened compared to the other two smaller pairs. Larvae are minute, measuring only 1.35 mm in length and 0.32 mm in width on average. Their small size allows them to easily disperse by wind after hatching. M. ruficauda is endemic to South and Central America, and is primarily present in the open grasslands and meadows where it lays its eggs. The flies are most active during the day, especially during sunny and hot days in the summer (December-May in the Southern Hemisphere).

Sensory physiology. Researchers have shown that M. ruficauda antennae are involved in resource-searching behavior, in addition to detecting outside chemical cues that the flies are able to pick up on. Their antennae are composed of four different segments: the scape, pedicel, postpedicel, and style. …

Larvae exclusively feed on their white grub hosts until they pupate and emerge as full-grown adults. The adults are predatory, feeding on insects (primarily Hymenoptera but also other insects, including other members of Diptera) endemic to the meadows that they inhabit.