SEASONAL INCIDENCE AND BIOLOGY OF CONOPID FLY, PHYSOCEPHALA TIBIALIS IN BUMBLE BEE, BOMBUS HAEMORRHOIDALIS SMITH IN INDIAAvinash Chauhan, B.S. Rana, K.C. Sharma and Sapna KatnaAbstract Conopid flies are larval parasites of bumble bees which lay eggs inside the abdomen of forager bee. Present studies were conducted during 2011-2014 to know the role of conopid fly, Physocephala tibialis in bumble bee rearing. Bumble bee foragers were collected from the natural and artificially established bumble bee colonies in the field. Seasonal incidences revealed higher infestation in bumble bee population during June to August with 48% infestation in bumble bee foragers. Infested foragers (queen, worker and drone) died after 8-10 days of infestation. Thus, conopid infestation reduces the working force of the bumble bee colony hence the development of colony is affected negatively.
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