TECHNIQUES FOR OBTAINING ADULT-ASSOCIATED IMMATURE STAGES OF PREDACIOUS TACHYDROMIINE FLIES (DIPTERA, EMPIDOIDEA), WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR REARING AND BIOCONTROL

Gravid females of four species of tachydromiine flies, namely Megagrap ha exquisita, Platypalpus holosericus, P. aequalis, and P. melleus wer e induced to oviposit by decapitation. Eggs were placed on a saline nu trient agar medium prior to hatching. Ovaries containing fully mature eggs were additionally dissected from females of P. holosericus. These eggs were transferred in situ in each ovary to agar plates, where the y embryonated and hatched, demonstrating parthenogenesis in this speci es. First instar larvae of all four species were held in agar medium f or several weeks, and were presented with various prey organisms and o ther food materials. Only those that fed on Drosophila melanogaster la rvae, or on each other, developed to later larval instars. In one inst ance, a fully mature larva of M. exquisita pupated after diapausing, a nd developed as far as the teneral adult stage. Implications of the re sults of this study are discussed in terms of the potential for obtain ing taxonomic and phylogenetic information on previously unknown immat ure stages, and for rearing Tachydromiinae as biological control agent s of agricultural pests.