Aphoebantus Loew, 1872

Greathead, D. J. & Evenhuis, N. L., 2001, Annotated keys to the genera of African Bombylioidea (Diptera: Bombyliidae; Mythicomyiidae), African Invertebrates 42 (1820), pp. 105-224 : 193

Aphoebantus Loew

Aphoebantus Loew, 1872 a: 77 [1872 b: 253]. Type species: Aphoebantus cervinus Loew, 1872 , by monotypy.

Comments: Aphoebantus is a predominantly North American genus and is probably paraphyletic. The western palaearctic and afrotropical species examined by Greathead (1996 a) were transferred to the genus Cononedys Hermann. The remaining species require re-examination to determine whether they too are Cononedys spp.

Keys: Palaearctic, Engel (1932 –7), Paramonov (1929).

Hosts: Some North American species are predators in the egg-pods of Acrididae ( Greathead 1963; du Merle 1975). Females in North America have been observed by NLE ovipositing in fine sand under manzanita bushes ( Arctostaphylos spp. ). They dig a small pit in the sand with the tip of the abdomen, lay 4– 5 eggs, and then cover the pit with sand with the tip of the abdomen. Unfortunately, laboratory rearing of the eggs taken from these pits proved unsuccessful.

Distribution: Nearctic and?Palaearctic Regions. North Africa: Egypt:?1 species; Aphoebantus wadensis Bezzi.