Hornworm Tachinid Fly

Archytas apicifer

"Archytas apicifer" is a medium to large sized Nearctic tachinid fly. The larvae are parasites of several caterpillar species.
Tachinid Fly - Archytas apicifer The larvae of this species are parasitoids of noctuid moths.

Habitat: Goldenrod (Solidago sp.); meadow's edge Archytas,Archytas analis,Archytas analis complex,Archytas apicifer,Diptera,Geotagged,Summer,United States,fly,tachinid fly

Appearance

The family Tachinidae is considered the second-largest in terms of number of species among all the diverse families of Diptera. There are about 10,000 species worldwide. Many tachinid flies are economically important parasites of other arthropods. Several genera are robust and brightly patterned and many possess conspicuous bristles on the head or on the 4th to 6th abdominal segments.
Archytas apicifer Found in the area of the Kabah ruins, in the vegetation around the Arch. Archytas apicifer,Geotagged,Mexico,Summer

Naming

The species name was authored by the German entomologist Johann Friedrich Jaennicke and presumably named after the Greek classical philosopher and mathematician Archytas.
Archytas apicifer, La Isla Escondida, Colombia  Archytas apicifer,Colombia,Colombia 2024,Fall,Geotagged,La Isla Escondida,South America,World

Behavior

The family Tachinidae is considered the second-largest in terms of number of species among all the diverse families of Diptera. There are about 10,000 species worldwide. Many tachinid flies are economically important parasites of other arthropods. Several genera are robust and brightly patterned and many possess conspicuous bristles on the head or on the 4th to 6th abdominal segments.

Food

"Archytas apicifer" adults feed on flower nectar, and are also known to be pollinators of some flowers. Like many other tachinid flies, "A. apicifer" larvae are internal parasitoids of the Forest tent caterpillars and fall webworms in addition to the tomato fruitworm, corn earworm, and cutworms.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderDiptera
FamilyTachinidae
GenusArchytas
SpeciesA. apicifer