unknown bug in northern va
I can’t find this insect anywhere. I think it is a type
of dragonfly, but I’m not sure. It was hovering and
moving quickly near the edge of a creek in Sterling, VA. I
saw a second on further down the creek. it moved so
fast it was hard to get a photo at all! I’d like to
be able to title the photo appropriately, thanks for any help
you can give me!
Sara M. Applegate
Hi Sara,
This is a true fly. It looks to us like Ocyptamus
fascipennis, one of the Syrphid Flies. It might be another
species in the genus. Your photo does not clearly render the
wings, which would help in species identification. You can
see many images from this genus on BugGuide.