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Thick-headed fly, Conopidae (probably Zodion sp.) on flower of Engelmann's prickly pear, Opuntia phaeacantha discata. Female Conopid flies wait in ambush for bees, then dart out and quickly thrust an egg through the membrane between the abdominal plates of the bee. The fly larva develops inside the abdomen of the host bee, eventually consuming its internal tissues. Saguaro National Park, Arizona
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Arizona, bug, cacti, cactus, coevolution, Conopid, Conopidae, desert, Engelmanns prickly pear, flora, flower, fly, horizontal, insect, invertebrate, nature, Nopal, North America, Opuntia, Opuntia engelmannii, Opuntia phaeacantha, Opuntia phaeacantha discata, parasite, parasitic, parasitism, plant, pollen, pollinating, pollination, pollinator, Saguaro National Park, Sonoran desert, southwest, Thick headed fly, United States, USA, west, wilderness, wildflower
Copyright © Dan Suzio, all rights reserved
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