Stats

Lifespan

A few weeks

Size

Small

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Temperate grassland

Range

North America

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Speed

Status

Rare

About

The Rivellia quadrifasciata is a soybean nodule fly, which is a type of insect that lives in the soil and feeds on the roots of soybean plants. A surprising fact about this species is that its larvae have been known to feed on the roots of other plants such as Phaseolus limensi, Vigna unguiculata, and Desmodium plants.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Platystomatidae

Genus

Rivellia