Lespesia archippivora

Description

Lespesia archippivora is a species of tachinid fly, which, like all tachinids, are parasitoids of other arthropods. L. archippivora lives in the body of its host resulting in its death. This is not uncommon since it is estimated that about 10% of all insects are parasitoids. L. archippivora is a generalist and able to infect at least 25 lepidopteran species in addition to one species of Hymenoptera. It is common in North America and other species exist worldwide. It is used as a biological control of a number of pests, such the army worm (Mythimna unipuncta), sugarcane leaf roller (Omiodes accepta), corn earworm (Heliothis zea), black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), and variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia). It is a concern in the morbidity of monarch butterflies. Researchers do not all agree that a high census of L. archippivora may regulate the population or have an effect on the fall migration of eastern monarch butterflies to Mexico. The butterfly does not survive the infection and it is estimated that 6.2% of wild-monitored monarch butterflies are killed by this fly. One study indicated that even the eggs of the monarch butterfly can be infected. In 1898 it was introduced into the Hawaiian Islands by Albert Koebele and used as a biological control agent to reduce the population of army worms.