Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: January 8, 2004
Publication Date: June 30, 2009
Citation: Woodley, N.E. 2009. Vermileonidae (worm lions). In: Brown, B.V., Borkent, A., Cumming, J.M., Wood, D.M., Woodley, N.E. and Zumbado, M., editors. Manual of Central American Diptera. Ottawa, Canada: National Research Council Research Press. p. 437-439.
Interpretive Summary: Larvae of worm-lion flies create sand traps to capture ants and other prey in Mexico and Central America. Predaceous insects are important because they help control a variety of plant and other pests. The information contained in this publication summarizes the fauna that occurs south of the United States and identification aids and illustrations are provided. This is a chapter in a manual on the flies of Central America, a large, comprehensive book that covers the entire fauna of Central America, several thousand genera of flies. This work will enable quarantine workers, veterinarians, and others concerned with flies to identify these insects.
Technical Abstract:
The family Vermileonidae is reviewed at the generic level for Central America, based on literature reviews and original research. Information on how to identify the one genus that occurs in the Neotropics is presented, as well as illustrations. A synopsis of knowledge of the family is presented as well as a short treatise on the Central American genus.
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