INSECT HUMANITARIAN OF THE WEEK: ANNA
Small Fly – Can you help, Daniel?
Location: Hawthorne, California
May 28, 2011 9:55 pm
Hi Daniel,
I fished this little guy out of the bird bath the other day and managed to get a semi-decent shot of it while it was recovering. Do you know what type fly it is?
Signature: Thanks, Anna Carreon
Hi Anna,
Daniel would really like to use this photo in a powerpoint presentation on Southern California Flies. It is a LongLegged Fly in the genus Condylostylus which is well represented on BugGuide. Here is some information from BugGuide which tends to indicate that this is a beneficial genus of Flies: “Food Mouthparts are for piercing (with a short proboscis). Adults and larvae prey on small insects; larvae of some species mine stems of grasses and other plants or live under bark
Life Cycle Larvae develop in wet to dry soil and pupate in cocoons made up of soil particles cemented together. Adults mate after elaborate and unique behavior, involving the males displaying their legs to the female.”
Hi,
Of course it will be fine to use any of my photos in the powerpoint presentation. I’m honored that you asked.
Anna