Cuba (ST B MCZ)
almost cosmopolitan in warm (mediterranean to tropical) areas
Larvae are saprophagous, coprophagous and necrophagous. Females are kleptoparasitic on spiders and predaceous insects. In a rearing experiment with compost from Gomera the development from egg to adult lasted 4-7 weeks (in Germany) with the the puparium lasting about 2 weeks.
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Classification: Milichiella lacteipennis
subshiny black, ocellar triangle and upper orbital plates shiny black
shiny black, scutellum brown microtomentose, pleura with anepisternum and middle of katepisternum shiny, otherwise slightly brown microtomentose
0.3x as long as epandrium high, dilated posteroapically (1.2x), slightly bent anteriorly, straight in posterior view, 1.3x as long as wide
shiny black, scutellum brown microtomentose, pleura anterodorsally shiny, posteroventrally slightly greyish microtomentose, except for shiny spot on katepisternum
There are one male and two female syntypes of Milichiella lacteipennis in MCZ. The male which has been photographed (Type 13451, Anonymous 2009) was designated as lectotype by Brake (2009).
There is one female ST of M. nitida in BMNH. Walker did not state the number or sex of the type specimens of M. nitida. The female specimen in BMNH was designated as the lectotype by Brake (2009) to permit synonymy of M. nitida with M. lacteipennis. Gymnopa nitida Walker, 1836 is thus the senior synonym of M. lacteipennis. However, the name Gymnopa nitida has not been used in original literature after 1899 (only in catalogues), whereas the name Milichiella lacteipennis has been in frequent use. M. lacteipennis is therefore designated as the valid name following ICZN Art. 23.9. Photographs of the male ST of M. lacteipennis are shown in the MCZ type database.
Specimens studied by Brake (2009) were collected on goat, dairy cattle and pig dung, manure piles, grass clippings, garden compost, flowers of Donnellsmithia hintonii M&G., Asclepias, Baccharis glutinosa, Ochradenus baccatus, Tamarix, and leaves of pawpaw, and in Malaise, light, flight, pan, pit fall, carrion, and dung traps. Habitats are arid zones, beach forest, forest edges, mountain meadows and ponderosa pine/meadow. Flies were bred from decaying banana skins and ground-nut plots. Milichiella lacteipennis was observed swarming beside cactus and was attracted by raw or linseed oil or paint.
America, from southern Canada south to Chile and Argentinia; southern Europe to Japan, south to Africa and Australia; Pacific islands; country map click here
Classification: Milichiella lacteipennis