page_title: Xenox tigrinus
section_title: Life Cycle
hierarchical_section_title: Xenox tigrinus / Life Cycle
caption_attribution_description: English: Bombyliidae (Xenox tigrinus) mating; photo taken in NC in July 2013
context_page_description: The tiger bee fly, Xenox tigrinus, is an insect of the family Bombyliidae found in the eastern United States and southern Ontario. It formerly went by the name Anthrax tigrinus. The distinctive wing pattern may resemble tiger stripes, giving the tiger bee fly its name. Like other members of the bee fly family, the tiger bee fly parasitizes the larvae of other insects.
context_section_description: Female tiger bee flies deposit fertilized eggs in carpenter bee nests. Rather than entering the nest itself, female tiger flies lays eggs near the nest entrance. When the larvae hatch, they consume the carpenter bee larvae. The fly larvae may also wait for the bees to enter the vulnerable pupal state before eating them. The tiger bee fly is the most common parasite of the American carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica. It is also considered a pollinator.
caption: Xenox tigrinus mating
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