SPIDER FLIES !
Family :Acroceridae,
These flies are endoparasitoids of spiders, developing within spiders and killing them on development.
In the month of July 2020, I was doing farm work & was cleaning & manuring Avocado plant. Its a habit for all macro lovers to turn leaf, whenever possible. The same happened that day. I was bit tiered digging & manuring. While relaxing it happened to turn leaves which is habitual !
Interestingly I saw a dead spider which was on sac. It was so disfigured that I couldn't make out what it was ?
But looking at overall character it should be from family clubionidae or it can be Asemonea species from salticidae family .
I also found a pupa of some insect near to it. I thought it should be of some wasp, a parasitoid wasp. As wasps are number one enemies of spiders other than humans!
I decided to observe the outcome . But it was not possible to observe it the whole day . Any time an insect inside can come out. I was damn curious about what was inside !
So , I decided to put the whole leaf in a plastic container
After 1 week , early morning 7:00 am , when I checked there was an insect coming out of pupa.
My guess was totally wrong. it was not a wasp nor a bee & it was a fly !
I contacted Mr. Sankararaman & he pointed to a member from the family Acroceridae .
These are bit rare creatures & they lay eggs on spider's abdomen & larva develop inside by eating all spiders vital organs till spider dies. later emerges out to for pupa !
pupa then develops to form fly.
what a exiting creature !
July 2020
Indraprastha
Id credits : @sankararaman.s