The Conopidae get their colloquial name from most species having a head that is wider than the thorax. The adults are mostly wasp-mimics and can often be found on flowers feeding on nectar. The females also hang around flowers to ambush their host species. Most are parasites of bees and the females of some species have specially adapted ovipositors that allow them to prise open the abdominal segments of the bee to lay their egg inside their victim. The larvae then develop inside their living host and devour their flesh from within.
Both of the species illustrated here are parasites of Bumblebees.
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