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Category Archives: Flies   rss

Bot Fly

my cat brought this in to my room, do you know what it is?
Kevin Santana

botfly kevin Bot Fly

Hi Kevin,
This is a Bot Fly in the genus Cuterebra. They are endoparasites on various animals and are sometimes called Warble Flies.

Posted 13 March 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Bee-Like Robber Fly

Robber
Hi Guys,
In the last year I’ve visited your site many times when I can’t find a bug I’ve captured in my books, in about the same time I’ve been getting into photography mostly bug shots but also animals when I stumble or sneak up on them. I’m no expert, still don’t know what all the buttons are for on my digital SLR but have managed to get a few viewable shots. Just looked through the robber fly section and now know this is a Bee Killer but thought I’d send this in to you as he/she is blowing it’s horn icon wink Bee Like Robber Fly Taken a couple of weeks ago near Orlando FL where I live, Work has me traveling and I’m now in Massachusetts…..no bugs icon sad Bee Like Robber Fly but did manage to get a lovely shot of a Muskrat earlier today, a first. Brilliant site you have
Glen
PS If you get a minute, check out National Geographic website and take a look at July 07 Your Shot page I’m still buzzed

robber glen Bee Like Robber Fly

Hi Glen,
We are inclined to identify your Robber Fly as one of the Bee-Like Robber Flies in the genus Laphria as opposed to the Bee Killers in the genus Mallophora because of the difference in the antennae. Mallophora has “antennae with a very thin terminal final segment, whereas Laphria has thick antennae.” We are not exactly sure what you want us to see on the National Geographic “Your Shot” page.

Posted 11 March 2008 § Robber Flies ‡ Comments (0) °

Dark Winged Fungus Gnat

pesky little bug
Hello bug people.
I have never used your site before, so I am excited to see how it works. This little bug, (that is a penny), is flying around my house. I am suspicious that it is the male of a scale insect that I am wrestling with on my plants. Does that seem possible or likely to you? Thanks.
Betsy Higgins
Florence, MA

gnat betsy Dark Winged Fungus Gnat

Hi Betsy,
Our site works, if that is how you would like to refer to it, with the reception of emails. Then, depending upon our time, we try to post a few letters. We choose letters based on their content and imagery. Engaging writing always catches our attention. Interesting imagery also catches our attention. Unusual new species catch our attention and timely sightings most always get posted. We can assure you this is NOT a male Scale Insect. We believe it looks like a Dark Winged Fungus Gnat in the family Sciaridae. BugGuide has many examples and identifies only one to the genus level. Though they are annoying, they are harmless. The larvae feed on fungus and decaying organic matter. There is one image on BugGuide that illustrates both the abdominal shape and markings of the specimen in your image. We last posted a letter to our Gnat page in 2005, and that was a decisive factor in selecting your letter. More than that, we were amused that the penney in your photo is 50 years old.

Posted 08 February 2008 § Gnats ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Horse Fly Maggot

Mysterious large water creature
Please look at these 4 images and determine what this alien life form may be. It came from our pond. It’s about 4cm long. It’s translucent. It lived for 15-20 minutes completely submerged in 99% isopropyl alcohol. Found in Travis County in central Texas near the town of Manor. Thanks,
Jim

horsefly maggot jim 2 Horse Fly Maggot

Hi Jim,
This amazing creature is a Horse Fly Maggot. There is an image on BugGuide of the Western Horse Fly and it looks very similar to your image, though your image might be of a different species in the same genus, Tabanus. There is another image on BugGuide from Texas that is just listed by the genus name. The larvae are carnivorous, and are reported to bite.

Posted 04 February 2008 § Maggots ‡ Comments (0) °

Spanish Fly is Frit Fly

insect Southern Spain
Hi,
I just learned your internet address from TV. And I’m sending you a photo of an insect of which the photo was taken in Southern Spain, to be correct in Marbella. I would very much like to know which insect it is and the name in English but also in Latin, if possible, so I can find out the German name. With kind regards,
Annerose Reuter,
Cologne/Germany

fly spain Spanish Fly is Frit Fly

Hi Annerose,
We are quite curious where and when our site was on television, and in what context. This is some species of fly, probably in the family Syrphidae, known as Hover Flies or Flower Flies. Eric Eaton provided the following correction: “Hi, Daniel: The Spanish fly is a Frit Fly in the family Chloropidae. Can’t offer more information than that. Eric”

Dear Daniel,
thank you very much for the quick answer. I believe I will never really know which kind of fly this is because there seem to be hundreds. I saw TV this morning, in fact it was ZDF, the first program, and it is called “ZDF Morgenmagazin”. I’m sending you a link to the ZDF-site: http://www.morgenmagazin.zdf .de/ In the middle of the site you find: Die Momasurfer Nr. 28 and when you click on this, you come to this site: http://www.morgenmagazin.zdf.de/ZDFde/inhalt/4/0,1872 ,7153380,00.html and there you will find the hint on your site. With kind regards and thanking you again, yours,
Annerose

Posted 31 January 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Stilt Legged Fly

help
Please help I have been trying to figure out what these are but so far have been unsuccessful. The green one looks like some sort of shiledback katydid but not sure. I took that one in the summer 2007 in Florida. The other one has been prominent in my back yard (also in Florida) for almost a year, but still not sure what it is. Thanks a lot for your help
Katelyn

stilt legged fly Stilt Legged Fly

Hi Katelyn,
The insect we are not posting appears to be an immature katydid. Your other “ant thing” is actually a Stilt Legged Fly in the family Taeniapterinae and we located a lovely image on BugGuide.

Posted 30 January 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Robber Fly from Australia

Identification of ?Robber Fly and Scorpion Fly
Dear Bugman,
Happened upon your site tonight and am most excited! Have bought several books and trying to identify local species in our Southern Tablelands area of NSW, Australia. Hubby and I spend a good deal of time at Bungonia State Recreation Area doing the lazy man tours of the gorgeous bush to see what interesting things we c an find…..we are never disappointed! What first started out as just native flowers and now turned into fauna and in particular, BUGS!I’ve attached two photographs taken this month and am hoping you can identify them. They’re beauties! Cheers!
Katherine & Ricky Lee

robberfly austraila kathlee Robber Fly from Australia

Hi Katherine and Ricky Lee,
Getting different species of insects in the same letter complicates our posting, so we are giving your Robber Fly its own posting. We can’t tell you the species, but perhaps our faithful reader Grev will write in and positively identify your specimen. The Geocities website includes some similar looking Robber Flies.

Posted 28 January 2008 § Robber Flies ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Beetle-Backed Fly from Malaysia

Fly mimic
These are photos of a kind of fly mimic ! I think these are extremely hard to spot and capture. In a blink of an eye, the vanish, it looks like a shell behind it’s back but it can travel in incredible speed. Would you mind tell me what species of fly is it . I’m located in Malaysia. The fly is found in my garden’s passion fruit plant. Do you know what species of fly is it ?

flybeetle Beetle Backed Fly from Malaysiaflybeetle 2 Beetle Backed Fly from Malaysia

The head looks like a fly, but the body looks like a beetle. We believe it is some species of fly. We will contact Eric Eaton to get assistance.

Hi, Daniel:
The fly is a “beetle-backed fly” in the family Celyphidae. There are about 90 species in the family (surely more that have yet to be discovered), collectively occuring in Asia and tropical Africa. The “shell” is actually just an enlarged scutellum, a body part that is normally quite small, the last dorsal segment of the thorax. Bizarre, aren’t they?!
Eric

Posted 12 January 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

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