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Flying with two wings |
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Flies and mosquitos are categorized in the insect order diptera,
which refers to the fact that they have only two wings (most other insects
have four).
Until I started paying attention, I never knew quite what variety of
flies there are, even in my own back yard. Some of them resemble
houseflies, but many are more wasp-like in appearance. Some buzz around mightily,
while others are so tiny they're hard to see.
Insects, yum!
Flies' appetites vary. Some of the more interesting ones prefer to feed on
their fellow insects.
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This predatory fly (possibly a scathophagid) was carrying around a smaller fly. Since flies don't have
biting mouthparts, they can only eat liquid food. To eat its prey, it needs
to dissolve it in its enzyme-rich saliva. Bon appetit.
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Robber flies hunt other insects for a living. This one is a hanging thief
(Diogmites sp),
named for the way it hangs from its forelegs while maneuvering its prey with
the remaining four. I'm not sure if
the wasp in the photo was its prey or just a bystander.
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Yum, dung!
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This dung fly (scathophagidae family) is grooming itself with its front
legs.
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Multi-faceted love
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These two little syrphid flowerflies (probably toxomerus geminatus) were
inseparable, flying from one perch
to the next one sunny day in early October.
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Late October is still a great time to procreate, especially on a warm sunny day
with a fragrant garden mum perch. While larger than the ones above, they also
belong to the syrphid flies, in the eristalis genus.
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Tachinids and syrphids
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Tachinid flies feed on flower nectar as adults, but their younger stages are
parasites of other insects. This one, a featherlegged fly (Trichopoda sp.),
uses true bugs as its unfortunate hosts.
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These syrphid flies, resembling small wasps, are quite abundant in the late fall,
here seen visiting a Sheffield mum.
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Blowflies
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A small blowfly, probably the Lucilia illustris greenbottle. I see them
around throughout the season, usually on flowers.
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Here's another one, probably also in the Lucilia genus, just as
irridescent, but with more of a bronze coloration.
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And much, much more...
So many flies, most of them go without ID. Here's a sampling.
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This tiny thing caught my eye because it's so shiny and colorful. A long-legged
fly in the dolichopodidae family, probably the sciapodinae
subfamily. |
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This is a thickheaded fly from family Conopidae, most likely a species in
genus Physocephala. They look like slender-waisted wasps, but their
wings give them away.
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Bee flies
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Bee flies are furry like bees, but their other anatomical characteristics give
away their flydom. This impressive specimen of tiger bee fly (Xenox tigrinus)
was particularly attracted to me
and my shirt one day in August. The attraction wasn't mutual, but he looked
cool enough for me to take his picture.
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Mosquitos and such
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Looking like a huge mosquito, luckily this insect, a cranefly (Tipulidae
family) doesn't bite. Like mosquitos, though, it likes moist environments, and
its larvae are aquatic.
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Visitors to this page have left the following comments| Donna Dangler | Aug 09, 2005 | Thank you for such a nice page! I found a LARGE Barn Spider yesterday floating in my pool skimmer...about 1 3/4" long when extended. Real nasty. None of the websites seem to mention if this is a hazard to my health. Of course, a bite would not be preferred, but is this poisonous? I understand that they are coveted in the garden. Is this also true?
I'm not sure, Donna. I would try to avoid them too, but they're certainly not life-threatening. And most spiders are good at eliminating other bugs, so they play a useful role in the garden. I don't know specifically what food your spider prefers, though. |
| clifton | Sep 21, 2005 | i found the first two orbweavers outside of my work the other day. They were "fishing." The scary spider left, but the writer is still there, with a nice web and everything. |
| Alan | Oct 30, 2005 | Fantastic photos! Many of my 'close ups' are blobs & blurs. May I ask what type of camera you use?
Until this summer, I used a Canon A70. I now use a Canon A95, but find that it performs about the same in the close-up department. Canons in this series are known for their good macro abilities. |
| Jenn | Jul 18, 2007 | Hi- Great photos1 Also, do Tiger Bees bite? I have noticed a ton around my house lately... |
| noor vermeulen (the netherlands) | Jul 29, 2007 | about the huge huge mosquito(Tipulidae family) you mention its larvae are aquatic, maybe i don't understand that word correctly (in water?) but i think the larvae live in soil and feed on plant roots (damaging grass and lots of other plants).
We're both correct, as you can see at this page. |
| Tara | Sep 21, 2007 | Hey! Great shot of the tiger bee fly! I've noticed that everytime I see one of these guys they are attracted to people! Just like this one was hanging around your shirt... they always land on me- and hang out for a bit. I actually had one that would zoom right back to my fingertip everytime I'd flick it away- haha, like a circus trick! I wonder if it's the salt from our skin?? Anyone?? |
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Last modified:
July 29, 2007
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