Cacoxenus indagator Loew, 1858
(Houdini Fly)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesCacoxenus indagator (Houdini Fly)
GenusCacoxenus (a genus of flies)
FamilyDROSOPHILIDAE (fruit or vinegar flies)
SuperfamilyEPHYDROIDEA (fruit and shore flies)
InfraorderSchizophora - Acalyptratae (an infraorder of flies)
OrderDIPTERA (two-winged flies)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Cacoxenus indagator (Houdini Fly) :
1: Cacoxenus indagator (Houdini Fly) IDENTIFICATION UNCERTAIN
9 Apr 2020 OSGR: SU00 50° 50’ N, 1° 60’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
Old puparia and exuvia in Red Mason bee colony in bee hotel
Image 1: Old puparial exuvia - in tube in bee hotel - highly enlarged - natural background
2: Cacoxenus indagator (Houdini Fly)
30 Apr 2016 OSGR: SU00 50° 50’ N, 1° 60’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
Male, reared from bee tubes with Red Mason Bee
Image 1: Male - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 2: Male - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 3: Male - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 4: Male - postero-dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 5: Male - ventral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 6: Male - head - anterior view - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 7: Male - head - dorsal view - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 8: Male - head - lateral view - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 9: Wing - microscope low magnification - white background
3: Cacoxenus indagator (Houdini Fly)
21 Apr 2016 OSGR: SU00 50° 50’ N, 1° 60’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
3 puparia dropped out of bee tube (sealed with grey mud)
Image 1: Male puparial exuvium - ?dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 2: Puparium - lateral view - magnified - silver background

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
in the field New Scientist Zoologger: Houdini fly inflates head to break walls www.newscientist.com/article/dn19764-zoologger-houdini-fly-inflates-head-to-break-walls.html

Cacoxenus indagator (Houdini Fly) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Cacoxenus indagator (Houdini Fly)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 1 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Cacoxenus indagator (Houdini Fly)
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