We report the first record of Megaselia scalaris (Loew) infesting laboratory stocks of the
praying mantis (Parastagmatoptera tessellata, Saussure). M. scalaris, the scuttle fly, is a
cosmopolitan species with a broad niche as it performs as detritivore, facultative parasite,
and parasitoid. M. scalaris larvae were found feeding inside adult mantids and, when
development was completed, pupae were found inside the abdominal cavity and around the
body. We discuss the presence of colonies of crickets bred as prey for the mantids as a …

Megaselia scalaris (Loew) is a cosmopolitan and synanthropic scuttle fly, eclectic in its
feeding habits and acts as detritivore, parasite, facultative parasite, and parasitoid. Here we
report for the first time M. scalaris infesting laboratory colonies of Triatoma brasiliensis
Neiva, the most important Chagas disease vector in semiarid areas of Brazil. M. scalaris
larvae were found feeding inside bugs; pupae were found in the esophagus and intestinal
regions of T. brasiliensis through dissection. Other relevant information about this finding is …