Myiopharus doryphorae (Riley)

(Insecta: Diptera: Tachinidae)

Myiopharus doryphorae is a solitary parasitoid of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata.

Adult flies have a stout body with gray and black coloration and covered with bristles (setae). They can reach 6 to 14 mm in length.

Females deposit a single live larva inside the host’s larva. They prefer second to early fourth host instars. The parasitoid development begins when the host burrows into the ground and pupates. The immature parasitoid feeds on the beetle for two to three weeks, eventually abandoning its host to pupate in the soil.

Myiopharus doryphorae is native to the United States.

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Adult Myiopharus doryphorae (Riley)
(Photographer: John Capinera, University of Florida)