Natural History Museum
The Museum will remain open during the Lunar New Year Holiday, from 29 to 30 January 2025.
Abstract. The larva and puparium of Prosopochrysa vitripennis from northern Thailand are described. This is the first in-depth description of immature stages for the entire tribe Prosopochrysini (Diptera: Stratiomyidae: Stratiomyinae), which includes 65 extant species worldwide. The larvae of P. vitripennis are aquatic and develop in puddles that form in or near streambeds during the dry season in northern Thailand. Mature larvae crawl ashore and use a secretion to attach themselves to the surfaces of fallen leaves protruding from the water. The larvae and puparia of P. vitripennis are illustrated by macro and SEM photographs and drawings, and their cuticle structures and basic diagnostic characters are documented. The morphological characters of P. vitripennis larvae are compared with those of the two other tribes of the subfamily Stratiomyinae, Stratiomyini, and Oxycerini. A key for the identification of the known larvae of the Oriental Stratiomyinae is given.
Key words. Stratiomyidae, Prosopochrysa vitripennis, immature, Oriental, Thailand, taxonomy, morphology
Read article here: RBZ-2025-0001
