Study of the biological and taxonomic characteristics of the families Megamerinidae, Nemestrinidae and Therevidae (Insecta: Diptera)

Abstract

Regarding the biology of the Megamerinidae family, their larvae live under the bark of dying or dead deciduous trees where they are predators or scavengers of the larvae of other insects. Adults, which are rarely captured, are found mainly in wooded areas, close to the larval habitat, mainly on trunks and leaves. All known larvae of Nemestrinidae are internal parasitoids of nymphs and adults of locusts and beetle larvae. This makes the nemestrinids have the potential to be used as biological control agents for Mantodea. Nemestrinid adults are often found hovering around flowers where they feed on nectar, emitting a characteristic buzzing sound. The family of Therevidae biology is poorly understood. Adults are diurnal and many can live for more than a month under favorable conditions. They often go out to sunny spots on trails, the males usually waiting for the females to pass. Resting sites are generally specific to different species Larvae feed on other insects, mainly beetles, butterflies, moths and other flies that live in leaf litter, tree holes, or sandy terrains. Study of the biological and taxonomic characteristics of the families Megamerinidae, Nemestrinidae and Therevidae (Insecta: Diptera). The methodological basis of the present work consists of bibliographical research of scientific articles published in national and international academic scientific journals classified by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES). The search criterion for articles was prioritizing articles dealing with the topic. Document analysis was used as a data collection method to gather information on the websites of the University of São Paulo (http://www.usp.br/), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (http:// www.bireme.br/), Scielo (http://www.scielo.org) and University of Brasília (http://www.bce.unb.br/sistemas/pesq_bibliografica.php).