Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All PIRU Publications Pollinating Insects Research Unit 1960 The Biology of Heterostylum rubustum (Diptera: Bombyliidae), a Parasite of the Alkali Bee George E. Bohart Utah State University W. P. Stephen R. K. Eppley Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/piru_pubs Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Bohart, G. E., W. P. Stephen, and R. K. Eppley. 1960. The Biology of Heterostylum rubustum (Diptera: Bombyliidae), a Parasite of the Alkali Bee. Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer. 53(3): 425-435. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Pollinating Insects Research Unit at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All PIRU Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. ( Reprinted from fu'<NALS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF rumRJCA Vol. 53, No. 3, May, 1960 THE BIOLOGY OF HETEROSTYLUM ROBUSTUM (DIPTERA: BOMBYLIIDAE), A PARASITE OF THE ALKALI BEE1 G . E. BOHART,' W. P. STEPHEN, Ai\ID R. K. EPPLEY3 ABSTRACT H eterostylum robustu m. (Osten Sacken) is the principal very brief second ins ta r, and a soft, helpless third ins tar , parasite of the a lkali bee (Nomia mela11deri Ckll.) in the to a tough, more active fourth instar. Some lat vae Northwestern States. It also parasitizes other species apparently mature on a single host, but others pa rt ially of Nomia and at least one species of both Nomadopsis and drain the fluids from a second as well. In the late Halictus. It eject-s eggs into and near the nest mounds summer or fall the mature larva makes an overwin tet ing of its host, but does not readily discr iminate between nest cell in the upper few inches of soil.