Association of the scuttle fly Megaselia leucozona Schmitz (Diptera: Phoridae) with sweat bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), with a description of the male fly

Megaselia leucozona Schmitz (Diptera, Phoridae) is reported from nests of
Lasioglossum malachurum Kirby and Halictus scabiosae (Rossi) in Central Italy.
The flies patrolled twonesting sites of the hosts and sometimesmated close to
their nest entrances before entering. Observations agree with the general behaviour reported for other Megaselia species associated with fossorial bees and
wasps. The hitherto unknownmale of M. leucozona is described, and the original
description of a female is augmented and modified. This is the first report of a
scuttle fly associated with nests of Halictidae in the Palaearctic Region.