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Thick-headed fly
July 25, 2009
Here is a photo I took today. Went to Buguide. It was identified as a conopidae, species unknown. Posably physoconops, or physocephala.
Terry Sincheff
Mound, MN
Thick Headed Fly
Dear Terry,
Thanks so much for sending us your photo of a Thick Headed Fly. WE are linking to the BugGuide information page that states: “The adults are usually found on flowers. Food Larvae are endoparasites, chiefly of adult bumblebees and wasps. Adults take nectar.“
July 24, 2009
Very Large fly (with photo this time) Inbox X
I have been unsuccessful for several days to submit this query through the web site. It says that my file won’t upload so I decided to try submitting directly to your e-mail address that I got when you answered one of my other submissions.
This is a very large fly that I found resting on the chains of my disc golf target here at my home in Charlotte, NC. We have a large wooded area with several creeks behind our house with lots of deer. I looked through the flies section on WTB as well as BugGuide and had no luck. I used the macro function on my new camera to great success.
Brian R. Lucas
Charlotte, NC
p.s. I got so excited to submit that I forgot to attach the photo!
Tiger Bee Fly
Hi Brian,
Thanks for writing back with the image. This is a Tiger Bee Fly, Xenox tigrinus. According to BugGuide: “Larva is a parasite of Carpenter Bees Xylocopa.”
Loud flying wasp-mosquito-spider
July 23, 2009
Can you tell me what this is? Because I’m convinced that there is a mad scientist somewhere missing this experiment!
While coming home from work four nights ago, my brother in law accidently let this bug in. It flew in and went up our stairs making a VERY loud buzzing sound. He initially thought it to be a common Mosquito Hawk because of it’s erratic flying pattern, but then it landed long enough for him to get a good look and he discovered it was not. Hopefully it’s not some kind of killer bug because it landed on his head at one point!. We live in South Texas so we’re pretty used to odd bugs, but this one was weird enough to warrent an ID request. He was able to capture in a Gatorade bottle and I got out my macro lens for some closeups.
II included the best of the photos that I was able to take in hopes of an ID. It looks like a GIANT mosquito to me! Sorry for the last picture being so unclear. There were water drops left in the bottom of the bottle and given the thickness of the plastic that was the best shot I could get of it’s face.
It is brownish red in color, has a 3 segmented body, and it appears that all 6 of it’s legs were attatched at the middle segment. As I said before, it made a VERY loud buzzing sound and didn’t seem very happy to be detained! His face looked like that of a mosquito in that he looked like he could either draw blood or nectar with it. His eyes are huge and black and protruded from the sides of his head. From above, I think he looks like a wasp because of the wing shape and segmented body but the design on his back is strange, similar to a house spider. He even had black back hairs that you can see in the side profile picture! Gross! And he was a “sturdy” bug as well. I could feel it everytime he hit the side of the container! I was a bit scared of him so it was hard to take the pictures! He was so big I was just sure he was going to burrow through the plastic and get me!
Please help me figure out what this unusual critter is!
Just Wondering
South East Texas
Dear Just Wondering,
Your brother in law let a Hanging Thief in the house. A Hanging Thief is a Robber Fly in the genus Diogmites. All Robber Flies are predators and the Hanging Thief gets its common name from its habit of hanging from one or two legs while feeding. There is an awesome photo on BugGuide that illustrates the feeding habits of the Hanging Thief. Hanging Thieves do not bite people routinely, but that is not to say that they can’t bite people if carelessly handled. We believe they are capable of biting, but we have never gotten a report nor read any accounts of it actually happening.
what’s this pollinator?
July 23, 2009
I was walking in downtown Nashville Indiana a couple of weeks ago (7/10/09) and saw this critter. I’d never seen one before and, being interested in all sorts of pollinating insects, decided to take a snapshot. Later I saw a few more and so I asked my aunt, a gardener, if she knew. She didn’t, in fact, she’d never noticed one either. So what is it?
McKenzie
Brown County, IN
Scaly Bee Fly
Hi McKenzie,
High quality images like your photograph of a Scaly Bee Fly, Lepidophora lepidocera, are a tremendous contribution to our website. BugGuide indicates: “Adults are seen on flowers, presumably taking nectar. Insects of Cedar Creek reports they like to visit a Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum). Another reference from Minnesota lists Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) as a nectar source. Seen on goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and Bushy Aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum) in the Piedmont of North Carolina.“
What is this flying thing?
July 20, 2009
Found this in the hall of our apartment complex. Thought it was a wasp of some sort until closer inspection. Still not sure though. It’s about 3-5 inches long and flies like a mosquito with its legs down. Not graceful like a dragonfly.
Curious in Japan
Zushi, Kanagawa, Japan
Dear Curious,
This is some species of Crane Fly in the infraorder Tipulomorpha, but beyond that, we will need to seed professional assistance. The feathered antennae are unusual.
Update
Hi Daniel:
I believe the unknown Crane fly (family Tipulidae) is in the subfamily Ctenophorinae and the genus Ctenophora (=Cnemoncosis). Apparently there are nine representatives of the genus in Japan, but closest match I can find appears to be C. ishiharai. It is a very unusual looking crane fly. Regards.
Karl
Thank you for the help. The antennae looked like those of several mothes.
Thank you again. My sons are huge bug collectors with a strict rule of not killing anything, even the centipedes that get into the house once in awhile.
Green-eyed bug
July 18, 2009
Hi, We have an artichoke that had flowered in a vase of water. Yesterday the blue filaments on the plant began to move. Then these bugs (flies?) began to emerge, some more mature than others. They’re 7/16″ long and have bright green eyes with a dark horizontal slit through the center. Any idea what they are? I found your wonderful site while trying to identify them. I’m sorry that I don’t have a better camera. Thank you.
DJ
San Francisco, Ca.
Fruit Flies
Dear DJ,
We quickly identified your fly as a Fruit Fly in the genus Neaspilota on BugGuide, but there was no relevant information on the information page. One series of photos from Orange County CA posted to BugGuide shows this Fruit Fly on thistle, and the poster of the photos indicates: “I saw this species last year, and it got me hooked on macrophotography. They burrow into thistle, and the one I saw last year apparently stayed in the same bloom for a couple of days. Face has sort of a mask appearance.” On that posting, Eric Eaton provided this comment: “Most fruit flies are pests, but a few species have been introduced to North America from elsewhere to battle invasive plants like….thistles! I can’t give you a genus, so am placing this in the family guide page for now. Nice work, and excellent documentation of the behavior!” The comment does not state where the fly was imported from, so we are going to try to research that bit of information. That search led us to a Neaspilota page with many of the BugGuide images by Ron Hemberger, that was part of our new favorite website, the Natural History of Orange County. We still did not have the information we desired, so we quested again. We found a page on the Life History of Neaspilota, but no clue as to its origin.
Fruit Fly
I never dreamed you would get back to me so fast! Thank you for the detailed report. This was a fun
experience. I like your site and I just sent you a little money. Doug
Black Robber Fly ?
July 15, 2009
This is a common fly in my garden this summer. There may be as many as five of them that have set up territories throughout my strawberries, squash, and tomatoes. It resembles a robber fly in the way it perches on vantage points and quickly flies away when disturbed in the slightest. It sometimes seems aggressive and will even investigate me when I attempt to photograph it. This is a large black fly that I suspect is over an inch in length and has orange, lateral, very round, spots, one on either side of the abdomen near the thorax. Some of the individuals have light yellow spots and others have brighter orange spots. I have never seen one with prey, as I do the other recognizable species of robber flies in the garden. This picture was taken in mid-July during some of the hottest days of summer in Oklahoma. Rain has been sparse and the ground is very dry except around the garden that is regularly watered and attracts several species of insect.
K. Hopkins
Oklahoma, USA
Mydas Fly
Dear K.,
This is a Mydas Fly, Mydas clavatus. According to BugGuide: “I have seen adults (males?) of this species taking nectar from several sources in Durham, North Carolina. I have seen a female ovipositing in a dead maple stump. Later, I found this stump was full of carpenter ants and large beetle larvae (probably Odontoaenius disjunctus). I have not observed the adults taking prey on the wing. Sources vary on the feeding habits of adults. Most say the adults are predatory, but this may be incorrect. Perhaps this is due to confusion with the somewhat similar Robber Flies (Asilidae)?” BugGuide also indicates that male Mydas Flies engage in Hilltopping, which Wikipedia explains as a mate-location behavior where “Males of many butterfly species may be found flying up to and staying on a hilltop – for days on end if necessary. Females, desirous of mating, fly up the hill. Males dash around the top, competing for the best part of the area – usually the very top; as the male with the best territory at the top of the hill would have the best chance of mating with the occasional female, who knows the ‘top male’ must be strong and thus genetically fit. Many authors consider this as a form of lekking behaviour.[4] Many butterfly species including swallowtails, nymphalids, metal-marks and lycaenids are known to hill-top.”
Whats that bug on my wall?
June 10, 2009
Its about 1cm including legs, my girlfriend thought it was a spider till I looked closer at it, just curious what it was.
Gav, UK
exeter uk
Louse Fly
Hi Gav,
We apologize for the delay. This is a Louse Fly in the family Hippoboscidae but we are uncertain what species. They are sometimes called Keds. There is a close matching photo on BugGuide of Lipoptena mazamae, the Deer Ked, but we could not be certain of the species you have discovered. In addition to deer, Louse Flies are also often associated with sheep and horses, and they are generally host specific. Here is what BugGuide has to say about the Deer Ked: “Deer keds have a very interesting reproductive strategy. The female produces one larva at a time and retains the developing larva in her body until it is ready to pupate. The larva feeds on the secretions of a “milk gland” in the uterus of its mother. After three larval instars, the larva has reached its maximum size, the mother gives birth to the white pre-pupa which immediately begins to darken and form the puparium or pupal shell. The pupa falls from the deer and is usually deposited where the deer bedded. When the fly has completed its metamorphosis, the winged adult emerges from the puparium and flies in search of a host. After finding a host the adult fly breaks off its wings and is now permanently associated with that one deer. Both sexes feed on the blood of the host deer. They can live on a deer for up to 6 months.” Here is a link to a Sheep Ked (Melophagus ovinus) website.
Grey fuzzy fly or bee
July 13, 2009
Saw this fella in the Okanagan, B.C. It didn’t seem to make any noise and wasn’t worried about me at all. I’ve never seen anything like it, I’m very curious if you can id it for me.
Donna Dean
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Bee Fly
Dear Donna,
This is a Bee Fly in the family Bombyliidae, Subfamily Bombyliinae and Tribe Bombyliini, but we are uncertain of the genus or species. BugGuide has several possibilities. There is a photo posted of Bolbylius incanus from Maryland that looks similar. There is a photo of a mating pair from Washington that looks similar, and there are three photos of Anastoechus barbatus from Wisconsin that look very similar. If you are satisfied with just general identification, we can tell you that Bee Flies feed on nectar as adults, and as larvae they feed in immature beetles, bees, wasps, butterflies, moths or the eggs of grasshoppers depending upon the species, according to BugGuide.
Bee Fly
Mydas clavatus – Mydas Fly
Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 1:59 PM
I know you have some pictures of this already but I can’t help but send this to you anyway. I found this on my blooming mint plants today and thought it was a huge wasp. A search on bugguide showed me that it was instead one of the largest flies in the US a mydas fly. Looks like it must be a male as they say females don’t feed on nectar. He is jet black with a brilliant orange stripe on the upper abdomen with Iridescent wings. Looked to be about 1 1/2 inches in length. Not aggressive but focused on nectar gathering.
Surely is an amazingly beautiful creature!
Stefanie
Paducah, KY
Mydas Fly
Hi Stefanie,
Thank you for sending us your gorgeous Mydas Fly images. We will link to the BugGuide page for our readers who want more information on this spectacular insect.
Mydas Fly
Blue Bug with Orange Head
Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Found this flying through my garage tonight at sunset in southern Ontario, Canada. Wrongly identified it quickly on the net as a Pine False Webworm, but the wings clearly indicate that it is something else. 2nd one I’ve seen in the area in 2 days and am wondering if there is an invasive species to be concerned about.
Jason
Ontario, Canada
Veined Ctenucha
Hi Jason,
We are a bit puzzled by your specimen, so we are contacting Julian Donahue, a specialist in the Arctiid Moths. This looks like a member of the genus Ctenucha (pronounced “ten U ka”) but BugGuide only list the Virginia Ctenucha, Ctenucha virginica from your area. It more closely resembles the Veined Ctenucha, Ctenucha venosa, but the Butterflies and Moths of North America lists its range as being nearly 1000 miles south and west of Ontario. Hopefully, Julian will give us a prompt reply. The fly in your one photo is a Spiny Tachinid Fly, Paradejeania rutilioides. According to BugGuide, adults take nectar and larvae are internal parasites of Tiger Moth Caterpillars.
Spiny Tachinid Fly and Veined Ctenucha
Expert Comment from Julian Donahue
It’s Ctenucha venosa, alright, a species of the Southwest and Mexico.
Are you sure it’s from Ontario, Canada, and not Ontario, California (I don’t know of any California records, but it is more likely to have been accidentally imported here than to Canada).
If it is really from Canada, pass the photo and details on to Dr. Don Lafontaine, the noctuoid specialist at the Canadian National Collection in Ottawa–he would be greatly interested in Canadian records of this species.
Julian
Ed. Comment
Could it be that this unusual sighting is yet another sign of global warming?????
More Expert Commentary
Hi Daniel & Jason -
As Julian points out, this is definitely a noteworthy record if it is from Ontario; the nearest documented records of venosa are from northeastern Kansas. Since this conspicuous species is not known to occur between Kansas and Ontario, where the fauna is quite well-known, it is highly unlikely that this is a natural range expansion as might be the case with ‘global warming’; it more likely represents an accidental introduction by way of plant material (the larvae feed on grasses and sedges). I occasionally identify C. virginica cocoons attached to shipped nusrsery plants – this may be a similar case.
Jason, since this would be the first documented record of this species for Canada and well outside its known range, could you please provide me with the exact locality and date? Even better would be one or more specimens sent here, also with collecting data – I can give you more info if you are able to do this.
Cheers,
Chris
PS – the tachinid fly in the photo is Hystricia abrupta, a widespread species in northeastern North America; Paradejeania rutilioides is a much larger, differently patterned species that occurs in the southwestern US
B. Christian Schmidt, Ph.D.
Entomologist, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids & Nematodes/.
Strange Flying Bug in Yard
Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 9:16 AM
Flying insect. Looks like it is laying eggs. Fly type body, wasp like wings, has design on body like bee. Looked like a giant mosquito to me. Made deep buzzing sound as a warning when I got too close. Never saw one before.
the bug guy
Tucson, Arizona
Robber Fly: Efferia rapax???
Dear bug guy,
This is a Robber Fly, and we believe it is in the genus Efferia. There is a photo of Efferia rapax posted to BugGuide with numerous comments. That photo looks very similar to your specimen, and it is also from Arizona. It would really take someone far more qualified than we are to properly identify what species of Robber Fly you have.
Robber Fly: Efferia rapax???
