Dichetophora obliterata (Fabricius, 1805)

Khaghaninia, S., Kazerani, F. & Vala, Jean-Claude, 2018, New Data About Snail-Killing Flies (Diptera, Sciomyzidae) In Iran, Vestnik Zoologii 52 (1), pp. 21-30 : 23

Dichetophora obliterata (Fabricius, 1805)

Material examined: Iran: East Azerbaijan Province, Qaradagh (forest habitat) [38°51´N, 46°52´E, 1770 m], 14.06.2010, 1 ♂, 4 ♀; Horand (grassland habitat) [38°59´N, 47°22´E, 1370 m], 14.07.2010, 1 ♂ (Khaghaninia leg.).

D i s t r i b u t i o n. Widespread in Europe Scotland, England, Belgium, Holland, France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Romania, Greece. North Africa: Morocco. Middle East: Turkey, Iraq. Iran: Rozkošný (1987).

B i o l o g y. I m m a t u r e s t a g e s: Vala et al. (1987) described and figured in details all the immature stages, provided information on the biology, and the life cycle. Eggs were often laid (after a long pre-oviposition period up to 2 months) on the shells of living terrestrial snails ( Vala et al., 1987). In the laboratory, the first-instar larvae fed as internal parasitoids on Lauria cylindracea and later instars fed on more large size Helicella and Theba spp ( Vala et al., 1987). Overwintering occurs as the mature larva, then the puparium ( Vala et al., 1987). Pupariation occurs either in the shell of the host snail or away from it ( Vala et al., 1987). This species is univoltine ( Vala et al., 1987).