Snail Killing Marsh Fly

Description:

This is such a funny little creature, a 3 mm fly of which the larvae feed on snails in wetlands or marsh areas. The larvae may be aquatic or semi-aquatic. These flies are of great interest as natural control agents for parasites of man and domestic animals that use snails as an intermediate host. This one is patterned over the entire body. The wings are dark with white spots. The legs are dark with the first two segments of the tarsi white. Adults feed on nectar and water and look for snails for egg deposition. Family Sciomyzidae, possibly a species of Euthicera.

Habitat:

Found on a garden wall, semi-rural residential area just above a montane wetland, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico 2,200 meters.

Notes:

https://diptera.info/photogallery.php?ph... https://diptera.info/photogallery.php?ph... https://diptera.info/forum/viewthread.ph... https://www.naturalista.mx/observations/... https://elp.tamu.edu/ipm/bugs/order-dipt... https://www.revolvy.com/page/Sciomyzidae... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthycera_... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sciomyzida... https://www.naturespot.org.uk/taxonomy/t...