Badisis ambulans
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| Badisis ambulans McAlpine, 1990 |
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Badisis is a micropezid fly genus with only one currently described species Badisis ambulans, a wingless, haltere-less fly from the far southern districts of Western Australia with an ant-like appearance.
The two sexes closely resemble each other, except in postabdominal structure. The unreduced eye is an unusual feature among apterous Diptera.
Its larvae develop in the pitchers of the endangered Albany pitcher plant (Cephalotus follicularis). Thus, while the conservation status of B. ambulans has not yet been formally evaluated, it is likely that this species is at least vulnerable due to being dependent on the endangered plant (see also coextinction).
[edit] References
- McAlpine, D.K. (1998). Review of the Australian stilt flies (Diptera: Micropezidae) with a phylogenetic analysis of the family. Invertebrate Taxonomy 12:55-134. DOI:10.1071/IT96018 (with picture)
- McAlpine, D.K. (1990). A new apterous micropezid fly (Diptera: Schizophora) from Western Australia. Systematic Entomology 15:81-86.
