Anthrax stellans
Taxonomy
This page represents the following TreeOfLife-200M taxonomic path.[1]
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Diptera
- Family: Bombyliidae
- Genus: Anthrax
- Species: Anthrax stellans
Visual Description
Based on observations from the TreeOfLife-200M dataset, Anthrax stellans exhibits the characteristic robust, bee-like body form typical of many members of the family Bombyliidae.[1] The specimens display a dense covering of setae (hairs) across the thorax and abdomen, which contributes to their overall fuzzy appearance. The wings are typically patterned, often featuring dark, mottled, or spotted markings that are diagnostic for the genus.[1]
Biology and Distribution
Anthrax stellans (Loew, 1869) is a recognized species within the family Bombyliidae.[2] It has been documented in Ontario, Canada.[3]
Historical records suggest that some past reports of other Anthrax species in Ontario, such as Anthrax pluto, may have been misidentifications of Anthrax stellans.[3] While specific host data for A. stellans may be limited, members of the genus Anthrax are known to include species that act as parasitoids of tiger beetle larvae.[3] More broadly, the family Bombyliidae is characterized by species that are frequently ectoparasitoids of solitary bees and wasps.[3]
Gallery
References
- 1 2 3 Dataset view for Animalia / Arthropoda / Insecta / Diptera / Bombyliidae / Anthrax / stellans constructed from imageomics/TreeOfLife-200M records under this taxonomic path. Hugging Face Datasets. https://huggingface.co/datasets/imageomics/TreeOfLife-200M.
- ↑ Anthrax stellans (Loew, 1869). GBIF. https://www.gbif.org/species/1666959. Accessed 2026-07-14.
- 1 2 3 4 . Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification. 2008. https://doi.org/10.3752/cjai.2008.06.