Subject: bug found on house
Location: Jacksonville, North Carolina
August 22, 2013 3:07 pm
I found this ant looking bug on my house the other day, and have no clue what type it is. I’ve tried looking on various websites and haven’t found anything. It looked like a large ant with what I’m pretty sure are wings.
Signature: S. Andersen
Dear S. Anderson,
This appears to be a Stilt Legged Fly in the family Micropezidae. According to BugGuide: “Odd little flies, known for their displaying (?) behavior of walking around and lifting their prominently marked front legs. Abdomen attached to thorax by “wasp-waist”. Likely ant or wasp mimics. The posture of the forelegs may imitate ant and/or wasp antennae and provide them with some protection from predators.”