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Red, deer-headed fly – non-archived! Intriguing!
Hello again!  I hope you take a look at this email, as I’ve never seen anything like this fly in my life.  I checked through a great deal of your extensive archives, and even the Hanging Thief, with its similar coloration, was not a match.
I haven’t seen another one since I saw this one.  It was beautiful, but kind of creeped me out because of its very strange way of moving – it moved in little jerks, and continually rotated its wings and halteres in this slow fanning motion while standing (maybe this is normal but I’ve never seen it).  I’ve attached an admittedly short and low-quality video to illustrate these motions – if you have enough inbox space and would like to see better video, I’d be glad to share my nicer files with you.
In case it helps in the identification, there were lots of full trash cans and some animal excrement nearby.  Vegetation around the place I saw it is primarily pines, oaks, sweetgums, maples, etc., and cultivated plants as well: ornamental grasses, magnolias, mulch, and redbuds, among others.
Until I figure out what it is, I’ve been calling it the Fawn Fly because its head shape and markings remind me of a deer fawn.  I’d love to know what it really is! Thanks,
R. Thompson

Picture Winged Fly

Hi R,Your interesting fly is a Picture Winged Fly, Delphinia picta.  According to BugGuide, it breeds in decaying organic matter like compost.

Related Posts

1. Delphinia picta: Picture-Winged Fly (May 9, 2005)
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4. Picture Winged Fly (August 9, 2009)
5. Picture Winged Fly (August 26, 2009)