EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY

Eur. J. Entomol. 101 (2): 337-340, 2004

Some observations on the reproductive biology of the scuttle fly Megaselia andrenae (Diptera: Phoridae) at the nesting site of its host Andrena agilissima (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae)

Carlo POLIDORI^1,*, R. Henry L. DISNEY², Francesco ANDRIETTI¹

¹ Universita degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Biologia, Sezione di Zoologia e Citologia, via Celoria, 26, 20133 Milano, Italy; e-mail: cpolidori@virgilio.it, francesco.andrietti@unimi.it

² University of Cambridge, Department of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK; e-mail: rhld2@hermes.cam.ac.uk

Some behavioural aspects of the reproductive biology of Megaselia andrenae Disney, a kleptoparasite of the communal bee Andrena agilissima (Scopoli), were investigated at the nesting site of its host at Isola d'Elba (Italy). The scuttle fly mates more often in the early afternoon, which coincides with the period when the provisioning flights of its host are more frequent. The presence of the flies at the host nesting site, either in copula or single, is lower in the morning. In general only the females enter the host nests immediately after a mate, in a few cases closely followed by the males. When leaving the nest, females refuse to mate again with the males waiting outside. Observations on the ovaries of the females revealed no differences, either in the number of eggs or in the length of the most mature egg, between the individuals collected in copula or when flying alone. The species is sexually dimorphic, the females being larger than males. Male size does not seem to influence the females choice for mating.

Keywords: Behaviour, reproduction, kleptoparasitism, Megaselia andrenae, Andrena agilissima

Received: April 1, 2003; Revised: January 14, 2004; Accepted: February 17, 2004; Published: June 25, 2004  Show citation