Assassin or robber flies (Asilidae) and bee flies (Bombyliidae) are two of the largest and most diverse fly families with over 7400 and 4700 described species worldwide, respectively. Adult assassin flies are predatory, feeding on smaller insects captured on the wing, and larvae predate on soft‐bodied arthropods in the soil or rotting wood. Adult bee flies feed on nectar and pollen. Almost all bee fly larvae are external or internal parasitoids of other insect larvae, usually in the soil. Although the interaction between bee fly larvae and their hosts has been rarely observed, we recently discovered assassin fly larvae hosting bee fly Lepidanthrax linguatus (Anthracinae: Villini) endoparasitoids in riverine sandy soil in southern NSW, Australia. While bee fly larvae have been known to attack other fly larvae, Asilidae is an uncommon host group. Furthermore, to find bee fly larvae inside the host is even less common because most bee fly larvae are ectoparasitoids. Here we describe and illustrate the host assassin fly (Bathypogon nigrinus: Bathypogoninae) larva and pupa, as well as the first instar bee fly larva (planidium) though careful external examination of the surface of the asilid larva, which is translucent, allowing us to see the internal parasite. This is the first larva and pupa from Bathypogoninae to be described. We also illustrate the bee fly larva in detail based on scanning electron microscopy of a larva in situ, after dissection from the host. Finally, we describe the late instar larval and pupal exuvia of the endoparasitoid. Like other endoparasitoid bombyliid larvae in the Villini, the first instar larva causes the host to produce a breathing tube that surrounds the posterior half of the parasitoid, allowing the parasitoid to maintain contact with atmospheric oxygen.

中文翻译：

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无声的地下苍蝇战：寄生于内生的蜜蜂蝇（Diptera：Bombyliidae）幼虫寄生于掠食性刺客蝇（Diptera：Asilidae）幼虫

刺客蝇或强盗蝇（Asilidae）和蜜蜂蝇（Bombyliidae）是最大和种类最多的两个蝇科，在世界范围内分别描述了7400和4700多个物种。成年的刺客蝇是捕食性的，以机翼捕获的较小昆虫为食，幼虫以土壤或腐烂的木材中的节肢动物为食。成年蜜蜂以花蜜和花粉为食。几乎所有的蜜蜂蝇幼虫都是其他昆虫幼虫的外部或内部寄生物，通常在土壤中。尽管很少观察到蜜蜂蝇幼虫与其寄主之间的相互作用，但我们最近发现了刺客蝇蝇幼虫寄养蜜蜂蝇Lepidanthrax linguatus（Anthracinae：Villini）内寄生虫在澳大利亚新南威尔士州南部的河床沙质土壤中。众所周知，蜜蜂的蝇fly幼虫会攻击其他蝇蝇幼虫，而A蝇科是不常见的寄主群体。此外，在宿主体内发现蜜蜂蝇幼虫的情况甚至更少，因为大多数蜜蜂蝇幼虫都是外寄生的。在这里我们描述并说明了寄主刺客蝇（Bathypogon nigrinus：Bathypogoninae）幼虫和，以及第一龄的蜜蜂蝇蝇幼虫（platidium），尽管对半透明的幼虫幼虫进行了仔细的外部检查，这使我们能够见内部寄生虫。这是来自Bathypogoninae的第一个幼虫和。我们还基于幼虫的原位扫描电子显微镜详细说明了蜜蜂蝇幼虫，从宿主解剖后。最后，我们描述了类内寄生虫的晚龄幼虫和p乳突。像Villini中的其他类内寄生虫的类脂虫幼虫一样，第一龄幼虫使宿主产生一个围绕该类寄生虫后半部的呼吸管，使该类寄生虫保持与大气中氧气的接触。