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Unknown
Mutilated Wingless Australian Fly is actually a wingless female
Chiromyzinae species
(01/13/2007) Australian bug
Hi
These pictures are of a bug which was found in my courtyard
in the Blue Mountains, Australia. It was only about 2 cm in
length. I have been trying to keep a record of the different
wildlife which live in my backyard, something which started
last year as a school project, but have been unsuccessful
in identifying this creature. Can you help? Best Wishes
Petah
 
Hi Petah,
We have tried to identify this Wingless Fly, but sadly, we
had no luck. We are checking if Eric Eaton has any clues.
Here is Eric's revelation: "I have no idea what the wingless
fly is, but it would appear it once 'did' have wings, and
they were torn off at some point. That is a pity, as wing
venation patterns are of the greatest help in identifying
flies!"
Update: (09/20/2007) forwarded through Eric
Eaton
I have a second question, how to get in contact with the people
from "Whats that bug"? They had a pic of a Unknown Mutilated
Wingless Australian Fly (01/13/2007) Australian bug And this
turns out to be a Stratiomyidae, Boreoides subulatus, the
females are always wingsless and it looks not even close to
something we know here in the USA as a strat. It is out of
the strange subfamily Chiromyzinae and this is an only Southern
continent group. Only one species is introduced to Cal as
a pest... So maybe you can email the people and give them
the answer to their question. Also further down they have
an Acrocerid as a Bombyliidae and a suspected "Mallota" which
is a Merodon equestris. Looking forward to see your book!
Cheers
martin
Mating
Crane Flies and Flower Flies
(01/06/2007) Bug Love
Hi, my name is Brigette and I love your site. I've been interested
in insects since I was a little kid, and am currently an undergrad
studying entomology at McGill University. I love to photograph
insects and thought you might enjoy some additions to your
'bug love' section. These were taken in my backyard in upstate
NY. I have included some japanese beetles, craneflies, horseflies,
and ambush bugs (my favorites!). I even have some eggs as
a result of the ambush bug matings, I kept several during
the fall months. When introduced the males waste no time at
all getting busy!
Brigette
 |
 |
| Crane
Flies |
Flower
Flies |
Hi
Brigette,
Wow!!! Thanks for sending us all your wonderful Bug Love images.
They are most excellent.
Query: (01/07/2007)
Wondering if those really ARE mating Horseflies....
Lisa and Daniel: HAPPY NEW YEAR, and thanks for your site,
it's great. The "mating bugs" quartet has two happy Dipterans
that are identified as "Horseflies," but I wonder if they
really are. For some reason they strike me more as Hoverflies
or something else. The sender, being a budding entomologist,
has great credibility, but somehow my mental antennae are
quivering...so I'll watch the site and see if there's re-thinking
on this one. regards from non-wintery Wisconsin,
Dave Fallow
Madison, WI
Hi Dave,
We tried finding a species match under Horse Fly on BugGuide
to no avail. We believe the eyes indicate Horse Flies. We
will check with Eric Eaton. Eric made the following correction:
"The mating horse flies are actually Flower Flies in the family
Syrphidae, probably in the Erastilini tribe."
Louse
Flies
(12/22/2006)
I live in Los Angeles in a lower apartment.
These thing look like "Flying Spiders"? They are
hard to kill, and appear to be able to produce web? Whatchya
think? Thanks
Chris
Hi Chris,
These are Louse Flies in the family Hippoboscidae. According
to Charles Hogue in the wonderful book Insects of the Los
Angeles Basin: "Occasionally, a person hiking or working in
mountainous areas wilolo notice a small (1/8,. or 3 mm, long)
flattened brown fly that has landed on his skin or clothing.
Looking much like a winged tick, the fly clings tenaciously
or crawls sluggishly for a moment before flying away. This
is one of the two common local species of Deeer Louse Flies
(Neolipoptena ferrisi or Lipoptena depressa), which normally
live as ectoparasited on deer. ... Upon successfully finding
a deer, it immediately crawls through the hair to the skin
and begins to suck blood. Here it remains as a permanent parasite,
soon losing its wings through wear. ... All Louse Flies are
blood suckers, although none feeds regularly on humans. They
may transmit disease between wild animals but do not to and
between people." You did not provide us with any specific
information regarding where in Los Angeles you live. If near
Griffith Park or some other deer habitat, it will strongly
support this identification. There are also other Louse Flies
that are bird parasites. We cannot locate any information
regarding the possible web building you mentioned, and suspect
that the Louse Flies were found in the proximity of legitimate
spider webs. Eric Eaton wrote in: "Hi, Daniel: You are correct
about the louse flies. What a cool find! We'd love to have
more images at Bugguide (hint, hint, Santa)."
Thanks Guys
I live in a large apartment building in Cerritos Ca, Now that
I may have identifiied my pest, now what? Thanks again Cheers!
Chris
Tachnid Fly
(12/16/2006) HUGE fly (not a cicada or bumble bee!)
Hi Bug Man,
I1ve lived all my life in the SF Bay Area but have never seen
a fly this large (about 1 inch). I1d love to know what it
is - any clues? Thank you!
Suzanne
 
Hi Suzanne,
What a funny photo. This is a Tachnid Fly. They are important
biological control agents since they parasitize caterpillars.
There are several genuses in the subfamily Tachinae pictured
on BugGuide, and we are not sure if your specimen is in the
genus, Adejeania,
Hystricia,
Paradejeania,
Protodejeania
or some other.
Bathroom
Fly
(12/14/2006) Bathroom Fly
Hi bugman,
Couldn't find this little bugger at first - I should have
just searched for "bathroom" because I found this
little one in a public restroom at Boston Logan airport! The
iridescence on the wings was really quite impressive, and
it looked rather like a crude 'silver' under the natural lighting.
Thank you for running your site - it has already helped me
identify 4 odd bugs!
Richard
P.S. the "American Homebody" website being linked
to in the footer of all pages appears to be gone and squatted
with ads?
Hi Richard,
Bathroom Flies are found in public restrooms as well as domestic
bathrooms. They breed in the sludge that accumulates in drains.
We will notify Lisa
Anne that the domain license to American Homebody, our
parent site, has expired, but she is probably devoting more
time to Steal This
Sweater and the other sites she maintains as well as continuing
her busy personal life. Sadly the usurper of our former home
is capitalizing on all of our web traffic.
Robberfly
feasting on Fly
(11/18/2006) robberfly?
I just discovered your site, When I took this picture last
month I thought it was a mother doting over a dead relative.
Now I think it's a robberfly eating it's victim? This insect
wither was there for a couple of days, and didn't mind my
getting to within 2 inches with a macro lens.
Loren Lewis
Hi Loren,
The only insects that exhibit anything remotely resembling
doting are the social insects in the order Hymenoptera, the
Ants, Bees and Wasp, and Termites in the order Isoptera. Robberflies
are dispassionate about their meals.
Beelike Tachinid Fly
(09/29/2006) Red, spiky fly?
This guy flew into a leaf and fell in front of me last week
when I was in upstate New York...I've never in my life seen
a bug like this. He must be some variety of fly, could you
please tell me what he is, exactly? I don't mind how long
you take to answer, even if it's like, 2 months. I understand
you're busy, so if nothing else, at least I can give you a
cool photo of a weird bug! Thank you very much!
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
The Beelike Tachinid Fly, Bombyliopsis abrupta, is an important
biological control agent. They parasitize caterpillars.
Longlegged Fly
(09/16/2006) WHAT'S THAT BUG ??
Great site you have here - didn't really find these two bugs
so thought I'd send pictures and ask. WHAT'S THAT BUG walking
around on my Hibiscus???
Thanks,
Jimmy
Hi Jimmy,
This is a Longlegged Fly in the family Dolichopodidae, probably
the genus Condylostylus. Adults prey on small insects and
mites, so they are beneficial insects.
Lovebugs
(09/14/2006) New Orleans Love Bug
Hello,
My name is Yvonne Nieves. I live in a suburb of New Orleans
called Avondale. This area that I live in is a pretty swampy
area as most of Louisiana is. My question to you is that the
photos that I am sending to you are photos of what we call
here Love Bugs. No one here knows where they come from, what
is their purpose, why do they come twice a year, the Spring
and in the Fall. We are pretty much getting over them right
now. They usually last for 2 weeks, then they are completely
gone and there will be no signs of them anylonger. They are
present in the millions and they are probably the most aggravating
insect that lives around here for just those 2 weeks every
Spring and every Fall. The bugs are connected by their tails,
most of them in pairs, and very few that are alone. One has
a head or is it eyes bigger than the other as you can see
in the photos. If you have any idea of what these bugs are,
and their correct name, and why and where they come from,
I would greatly appreciat the information, and so would thousands
of other people. Sincerely,
Yvonne Nieves
Hi Yvonne,
These really are Lovebugs, the common name for several species
of March Flies in the genus Plecia. Female Lovebugs have the
small eyes and males have the large eyes. Why they exist is
a philosophical question we would prefer not to tackle.
Male Black Horse Fly
(09/13/2006) Black Western Horsefly - Male?
Hi Bugman,
I know you are really busy with all the letters you are receiving
and hope you will be able to respond to my inquiry. My husband
saw a huge black fly in our backyard about a week ago. We
discussed what it could be. My guess was a horse fly, but
both of us have only seen horse flies that are metallic green.
Fortunately, I found either the same fly or his family member
hanging out on our front porch and captured a couple of pictures.
Is it a horse fly? I’m guessing a Black Western Horsefly…male
perhaps. (Yes, I’m making my assumption off what I’ve
learned from your site. Which by the way helped me identify
a pestering group of P. Carolina Wasps.) Thanks for your assistance
and keep up the good work! Your site is GREAT!
Sincerely,
Valerie Kacmarcik
Found in Euless, TX (DFW Area) 9/11/06. Taken with Digital
Zoom…sorry it isn’t better.
Hi Valerie,
Eliminate the word Western from your identification and you
are absolutely correct. This is a male Black Horse Fly, Tabanus
atratus. You can tell it is a male as its eyes meet in the
center of the head. Only female horse flies suck blood. Males
drink nectar.
Feather Footed Fly and (probably) Lacewing Eggs
(09/04/2006) spiral of eggs
Hello
We have found several of these egg structures in our yard
in Lafayette, LA. All have this near perfect spiral shape.
We thought perhaps they were lacewing eggs since they are
stalked, but can find no information on this particular pattern
being common to lacewings. Could they belong to some other
insect? Thanks for your great website. We had a feathered
footed fly in our yard this weekend too. What a super cool
looking fly. We were bummed to see you already had a bug of
the month for September! Thanks again!
Patty & Scott
Lafayette, LA
 
Hi Patty and Scott,
We choose the Bug of the Month based on what we think will
be a common sighting that month. We believe your eggs are
Lacewing Eggs. Owlflies also have stalked eggs, but they are
often in a horseshoe pattern. Thanks for the awesome image
of the Feather Footed Fly, Trichopoda pennipes, an important
biological control agent of the Squash Bug. We found a site
dedicated to this Tachnid Fly.
Mating Syrphid Flies
(08/30/2006) Bug Love
Hi. I sent you a photo of a spider the other day and I also
wanted to send you this photo of the hover flies (?) mating.
These little guys are very photogenic.
Heather
Hi Heather,
Thank you for sending in your photo of mating Syrphid Flies.
Flower Fly
(08/24/2006) San Diego's Mimic Bee?
For some reason, that past couple of months, I've been noticing
different types of bugs in my back yard. Search the web and
here I found, hands-down, the best bug site ever. Took a picture
of this Fly? It looks like a bee except for a single pair
of wings, the eyes (the eyes scare me), and there are no pollen
around the legs. If anything, here is a picture. It's not
the best picture compared to the other photographers. Hope
you like it. Keep up the good work.
Mike
Hi Mike,
My, what hypnotic eyes your Fly has. Your photo is every bit
as good as the images currently on our site. It just required
a bit of cropping. We thought this might be a species of Horse
Fly, but Eric Eaton set us straight: "Actually, it isn't a
horse fly, but some kind of flower fly, family Syrphidae.
So, not only will it not bite, it is a valuable pollinator
of flowers, too! This one looks to be male, with eyes that
meet at the top of its head. I think Bugguide has some identified
images under the Eristalini tribe of the Syrphidae. Eric"
Hanging Thief eats Yellow Jacket
(08/22/2006) hanging thief
Bugman
I think you had a picture of one of these in your fly section
not hanging. I wasn't sure from the picture but when you called
it a hanging thief I knew right away. Here's one hanging and
eating.
Bill
Hi Bill,
Wow!!! What an awesome photo. That Hanging Thief seems to
be enjoying the Yellow Jacket it captured. Thanks for sending
such an iconic image our way.
Tachinid Fly
(08/21/2006) Fly I.D.
Hello Bugman
Just curious as to what kind of fly this is. I took this picture
in the springtime in southern New Jersey. The fly was probably
a half inch long and sitting on some small flowers. I included
the flowers when I cropped the picture in case it helps with
the identification. Thanks!
John Kratz
Hi John,
This looks like a Tachinid Fly to us, probably in the genus
Archytas according to images on BugGuide.
Immature flies, the maggots, are intermal parasites on a variety
of insects.
Golden
Backed Snipe Fly
(08/21/2006) Golden Backed Snipe Flies
These were so pretty. I took their pictures in June 2005.
Their abdomens were black and white striped, with a golden
velvet on their thorax. I believe they are Golden Backed Snipe
Flies. I apologize for the poor image quality. I sent an email
to the Purdue Entomology department last summer, but no one
ever responded, so I've been wondering ever since then. My
husband found your great web site because we were trying to
identify a new bug to us... the huge robber fly. I wish I
had pictures of them. I know you say it's only 3-4 cm, but
I swear those things are bigger than that! At any rate, while
on your site, I thought what a great place to figure out my
Black and Yellow flies as I was calling them. I guess I wasn't
that far off in my made up nomenclature! Thanks for a great
site! It's awesome!
Amy Jost
Cincinnati, OH
Hi Amy,
These are Golden Backed Snipe Flies, and even though the image
is a bit blurry, we are happy to have the mating couple for
our Bug Love page.
Beelike Hover Fly
(08/20/2006) Fuzzy yellow bum...
Hi (again),
I just sent you some pictures of a Wool Carder Bee that I
found in my backyard - I'd identified him through your site
but hoped that you might like his glamour shots. This time
I'm hoping you can help me identify this guy - I've tried
looking for info myself but haven't had any luck. I'm keeping
my fingers crossed that you'll be able to give me something
to call him/her other than "Little Yellow Bum".
Thanks,
SJ
Hi again SJ,
Thanks for another astounding photo. This is a Beelike Hover
Fly, probably in the genus Mallota if we have correctly matched
the images on BugGuide.
We will see if Eric Eaton can verify this or take it to the
species level.
Correction (09/20/2007) Forwarded through Eric Eaton
I have a second question, how to get in contact with the people from "Whats that bug"?
So maybe you can email the people and give them the answer to their question. Also further down they have ... a suspected "Mallota" which is a Merodon equestris.
Cheers
martin
Tiger Bee Fly
(08/17/2006) Insect to identify
Hello. Just wondering if you could please identify this bug
that landed in our yard (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on the
handle bars of a bike. The body is 5/8" long and the
wingspan is just over 1". Thanks!
Charlotte
Hi Charlotte,
We located your Tiger Bee Fly, Xenox tigrinus, on BugGuide.
The larvae parasitize Carpenter Bees.
Syrphid
Fly
(08/15/2006) weird orange legged fly
I have noticed these all over Alberta Canada. I have no idea
what kind of two winged fly it is. any ideas?
Dave Sward
Hi Dave,
We haven't had any luck identifying this creature. We hope
Eric Eaton has the answer. Eric's response: "The unidentified
fly appears to be a syrphid, family Syrphidae. The classification
I have not kept up with, but it reminds me of the genus Xylota.
I'll see if I can't get more specific later on." Later Eric
added this: "It is either a species of Xylota, or Chalcosyrphus
(which was split from Xylota some time ago)."
Rodent Bot Fly
(08/10/2006) HUGE FLY
Please help me Bugman. .
I caught this fly, however, this is the biggest fly I have
ever seen!! Its over an inch long and its so fat it cant fly,
maybe ready to give birth to a small child or something? I
thought it was a bee of some kind at first but it resembles
more of a fly than anything. The pictures make it look small
but this thing has some serious girth to it. Let me know what
I have please. I'm really boggled and amused!! Thanks,
R.E
Hi R.E.,
This is some species of Bot Fly in the family Oestridae. They
are also called Warble Flies. They are host specific. Some
are parasitic on rodents like squirrels and rabbits, and there
is a human Bot Fly in the tropics. The maggots burrow into
the skin and cause a large bump with an open sore known as
a warble. Not a pretty picture. Sorry we can't identify the
species. Perhaps Eric Eaton can. Here is what Eric wrote:
"The bot fly is a rodent or rabbit bot in the genus Cuterebra.
The adults do not feed. In fact, tey have no mouthparts! They
live briefly, fueled by fat stored in the larval stage. Male
bots practice 'hilltopping,' whereby they stake out a perch
on a promontory, the better to intercept females flying below.
These are not commonly-encountered flies, despite their relative
abundance.".
2 Alaskan Hover Flies
(08/10/2006) Yellow Jacket Hover Fly
Here are some more pictures from Eagle River, Alaska. These
are a hover fly that is an excellent yellow jacket mimic.
Their front legs are black and they usually hold them out
in front and wave them about like yellow jacket antennae.
The other four legs are yellow like a yellow jacket. In these
pictures, it is hard to see the front legs, as he is using
them to eat. These are very hard to distinguish from the local
yellow jackets. The only reason they are easy to spot this
year is there are no yellow jackets near my house. We had
a late, cold spring, followed by a hot dry summer, and all
the yellow jackets and hornets seem to have died off. Last
year, there were so many that my yard had a constant loud
hum from the thousands of yellow jackets. Anyway, all the
yellow jacket mimics really stand out this year (like the
wasp moth I sent last month). Also, here is another hover
fly. The color morphology was different from the others I
have seen on your site, so I thought you would like to add
them to your collection. Finally, here are two beetles on
a wild prickly rose. I'm not really looking for an ID, I just
thought it was a neat picture and figured you'd like it. (sorry
about the black specks, the image sensor was dirty and I was
using a very small aperture). I'm sure you are swamped with
bug pictures right now, but would you be interested in a CD
of some of the better ones from this summer? I could send
you one this winter after things slow down a bit.
-David
ps. If anyone is interested, the camera used was a Canon EOS
5D with a EF - 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro lens and MT-24 Macro
Flash
 
Hi David,
Yes, we really are swamped right now, but there seems to never
be a slow time. Winter in US means summer in Australia, and
we get many requests from Down Under. WE feel guilty when
we do not respond to your letters, but we have a better request
than you sending us a CD. A CD would not have an explanatory
letter and we like having information. Please limit your submissions
to one insect, or type of insect, per letter. It makes it
so difficult to get your letters with four or five wonderful
images that need to be posted on numerous pages so we procrastinate,
then forget. Off the tops of our heads, we cannot even recall
the Wasp Moth you mention in this letter. Did we post it?
If not, please resend with information. Meanwhile, we are
happy to post your unidentified Alaskan Hover Flies. The Yellow
Jacket mimic might be the genus Chrysotoxum.
Horse Fly
(08/06/2006) I think its a type of horse fly.
I believe its a type of horse fly it was on my SUV, it was
about a inch and a 1/2 long. I've never seen a fly this big!
You have all the permissions to use the pictures I've taken.
I sent you a HUGE macro shot, you can resize it if you would
like. but I like the details!!!!!!!!
Best Regards,
Mindy
Hi Mindy,
Definitely a Horse Fly in the genus Tabanus, but it will take
us additional time to identify the species. Eric's response
is: "The only thing I can say is that it is a female of either
Tabanus or Hybomitra. I am so not an authority on tabanids!"
Hover Fly
(08/04/2006) What's this bug
You have a fun site. Thank you. Here's one that swarms my
arborvitae bushes in the spring. Picture was taken on rose
bush. Ridgecrest, 93555, is Upper Desert, 2300 ft elevation,
80 miles east of Bakersfield, CA. Whatsit? Please. Keep it
fun.
Floyd
Hi Floyd,
We believe this is a Hover Fly in the genus Sericomyia, as
evidenced by BugGuide.
We would like to get Eric Eaton's opinion on this.
Bee Fly
(07/29/2006) Bee Fly
Thought you might like to see a Bee Fly from the San Gabriel
Mountains of California. I think it's an ordinary Bombylius
but the proboscis is amazing nonetheless. Thanks for having
such a great resource!
Adriano
Hi Adriano,
Thanks for sending in a fabulous photo of a Bee Fly.
Korean Horse Fly
(07/24/2006) HUGE fly in Korea
I was hiking on Hyoja Island in the southern part of South
Korea when I ran across this giganto-sized specimen (maybe
an inch or so long) What is it? I've never seen anything quite
like it. It's got some great eyes though, eh? Thanks,
Kian
Hi Kian,
All we can tell you is that it is a Horse Fly in the family
Tabanidae and that she is a female. The females are the biters.
Long Legged Fly
(07/14/2006) Bug Macros
I love your site and use it all the time to identify my Macro
pics. I have a tremendous amount of macros that I have taken
that are of similar quality of the ambush bug I sent the other
night. I would be happy to send you some to use on your site.
Here's a long legged fly.
Thanks
Jeff Whitten
Florence, AL
Hi Jeff,
Thanks, It is a beautiful Long Legged Fly.
Small Purple Headed Fly
(07/03/2006) photos - Small Purple Headed Fly - Lasia Purpurata
Hello,
I was tickled to run across your webpage today and see someone
else took a photo of the Lasia Purpurata. I too photographed
this bug last year. It was identified for me by Dr. Jeffrey
Barnes at the University of Arkansas in June of 05. I have
been looking ever since then for other photos, the first time
I "Googled" this bug after learning it's prpoer
name, there were only four text pages with very scant information
and no web photos at all. I have quite a few good pictures
and also movie, here are three of my photos if you would like
to add/ use them on your web page. I attached some of my correspondence
from Dr. Barnes and a local nature center. Thank you,
Julie Lansdale
Collierville Tn
Thu, 23 Jun 2005
Hummer-bug photo
Hi,
Here is the Hummer-bug photo we discussed by phone today.
I appreciate any help you can provide in it's identification.
I was in the Mountain Home Ark area last Saturday when I took
this photo. (Actually, I have several more photos at home
and also a short movie clip in Quicktime if you want more,
let me know) While it was gathering nectar I was able to get
quite close. It moved front to back and side to side similar
to a hummingbird but it's body is only as big as a bumblebee.
Hard to tell in this photo since I cropped and enlarged for
a close-up.
Thanks for your help,
Julie Lansdale
Julie,
What an exciting find! This is Lasia purpurata, a fly in the
family Acroceridae. The larvae of this species are parasites
of tarantulas. Adults, as you have observed, are nectar feeders.
This is not a commonly observed insect. I wonder if you would
be willing to email me, as an attachment, a high resolution
copy (say 4X4 at 300 dpi) of this photo and permission to
use it in our museum website and perhaps a future field guide
to Arkansas insects?
Thanks,
Jeff Barnes
Dr. Jeffrey K. Barnes, Curator
The Arthropod Museum
Department of Entomology
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
 
Hi Julie,
Thank you so much for sending your photos in to our site.
They are stunning. Congratulations on taking such wonderful
shots of a rarely seen species.
Tachnid
Fly
(06/27/2006) drone fly?
Hi there,
Is this a drone fly? This specimen was resting on a garden
bench in early spring at my home on southern vancouver island,
BC. Thanks to your site, I also would like to report a successful
id of a Bedstraw Hawkmoth (Celerio galii) (see sphinx moths
2 - (05/14/2006)) that I found beside the side of the road
near Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. For your
interest I have attached a closeup photo of its head. It has
amazing eyes!!
Ian Mackenzie,
Victoria, BC.
Hi Ian,
The fly you sent is not a Drone Fly, but a Tachnid Fly, probably
Gymnosoma fulginosa, according to BugGuide.
Adults are nectar feeders and larvae are parasitic on True
Bugs and Beetles. Eggs are laid inside the host and the larvae
feed on internal organs. Tachnids are important biological
control agents.
Golden Backed Snipe Fly
Summer Solstice (06/21/2006) What's this bug?
Bug Man,
Can you identify this fly? I can't help much as this is the
only time I have ever seen it. I can tell you that it was
seen near a drainage culvert that runs along side a soybean
farm near Flint Michigan. June 12 2006 was the date I photographed
it. As you can see in the photos it has a gold spot on top
and four white stripes on each side of its abdomen. at the
base of its antenna it looked like 3 little balls stacked
one on top of the other. Its not much to go on but I hope
that helped some. I'm real curious to hear what you have to
say.
Thanks
Craig Putnam
Hi Craig,
Yours is the third image of a Golden Backed Snipe Fly, Chrysopilus
thoracicus, that we received this June.
Golden Backed Snipe FLy
(08/09/2006) Robber Fly - Bee Killer?
Dear Bugman, could you identify the species and common name
of the bug on the attached picture? I think it's a Robber
Fly, but not sure beyond that. It was photographed in Cincinnati,
Ohio. Thank you!
Jerry Lippert
Hub Naturalist at Winton Woods
Cincinnati, OH
Hi Jerry,
This is the second Golden Backed Snipe Fly, Chrysopilus thoracicus,
that we received this week.
Golden Backed Snipe Fly
(06/05/2006) Fly - Burlington Ontario
This fly looks a lot like the love bugs from Florida (except
for the color on the thorax). I have never seen anything like
this before and am hoping you can identify it for me.Many
thanks,
Janet Nelson
Burlinton, Canada
Hi Janet,
This is a new species for our site, a Golden Backed Snipe
Fly, Chrysopilus thoracicus. I just saw one while on holiday
in Mill Creek Park in Youngstown, Ohio.
Bathroom
Fly
(05/23/2006) ?fly
This picture isn't very good, sorry. But we have seen these
little "flies" about .75 cm long, on our walls.
They don't fly off quickly and are easy to kill. We are on
the sea in Croata. Thanks for any help.
Bathroom Flies breed in the sludge that accumulates in
sink drains.
Mating
Australian Flies
(05/14/2006) What are these bugs?
Hi - I took these pictures a few months ago with a Canon MP-E
65mm lens and MT-24EX flash. Actual size is about 6mm long?
When in flight they appear to hover, not at all like the usual
flies around here (Melbourne, Australia)
Adam
 
Hi Adam,
Identifying Flies is not our strong point, and we don't even
want to venture a guess at an Australian species. Your photos
rock bigtime. Eric Eaton weighed in with this information:
"The mating Australian flies are likely something in the family
Platysomatidae, or the closely-related Otitidae (sometimes
referred to as Ulidiidae). I know, clear as mud! Don't blame
me, I don't make the taxonomic rules.".
Dead
Lovebug
(05/03/2006) Help with a bug
I found this bug, dead, in my son's room. I have no idea what
it is, but he has recently suffered from some bites. I was
wondering 1) what this might be, and 2) could it be the culprit
of the bites?
Thank you!
Is you son's room in Florida? We believe this is a male
Lovebug in the genus Plecia, a Fly.
No, not Florida. Sorry for not including that in my original
e-mail; we ARE in Georgia, though, and I've heard of Lovebugs
in this area. Just never seen one before. If this isn't what
could have bitten him, I will have to keep looking. Thanks!
Bee Fly
(04/28/2006) HUMMING BIRD HAWK MOTH.
I saw a strange type of moth in the garden hanging upside
down on my acer tree. I looked in a book and think it is a
humming bird hawk moth. However all those I have seen in the
pictures have antenna and mine doesn't. It has the same legs
and a furry body and the humming bird front and the two eyes
on the side but not antenna. Is mine a humming bird species
or not, I will attach it to this. It was taken looking at
its underside because it was hanging upside down. I do hope
that you can help me... I would be very grateful if you could
help me.
Regards
Barbara
Hi Barbara,
Your photo is such an unusual angle. This is not a hummingbird
hawk moth. It is a Bee Fly in the family Bombyliidae. Since
you did not provide a location, we are reluctant to try to
give you a species.
Bee Fly
(04/23/2006) bug identification
Can you please tell me what the attached bug is.
Thanks,
Ruth
Hi Ruth,
This is a Bee Fly in the family Bombyliidae, probably Bombylius
major.
Biological
Warfare: Syrphid Fly Larva and Ladybird versus the Aphids!!!
(04/23/2006) Larva Verification
I returned home last weekend to find my rose bush laden with
aphids. A quick search of my garden located a lady bug which
I then "transplanted" onto a stem of the rose bush.
From the photo it can be identified as a 7 spotted lady bug.
I found a dozen more lady bugs and carried them to the bush
where each remained on top of its own rose stem. Since this
was my first attempt to fight aphids with lady bugs rather
than to zap them with an insecticide, I became more and more
enthralled with watching the daily activities on my rose bush.
Then I noticed "worms" appearing. From what I had
read about lady bugs, the larvae were described as looking
like alligators, but my larvae don't have that appearance.
Is this because they are relatively young and in beginning
stages of being "larvae" or am I looking at something
entirely different. One of the photos shows a larva on a leaf.
The other photo I took to show how the large was wrapped around
the twig. Just as I snapped the photo, an aphid crawled past
and the larva snatched it up and is shown eating it. To make
a long message short, are the two larvae in the photos actually
lady bug larvae? I love your web site!!!! Thank you for your
help
Jean
Republic, Missouri
 |
 |
| Syrphid
Fly Larva |
7
Spot Ladybird |
Hi
Jean,
No. Your larvae are not Ladybird Larvae. They are Syrphid
Fly Larvae, and they are a wonderful biological control agent
against Aphids, as are Ladybirds. Lacewings are also marvelous.
If the Aphids ever become too numerous for the predators,
a jet of water from the hose will knock them off the plant
and without a food source, the wingless young will perish.
Thanks for the great letter and the accompanying photos. We
have photos of Ladybird Larvae on our Ladybug page.
Dear (Bugman), Yesterday I went you photos regarding the ladybird
larvae which turned out to be syrphid fly larvae. Thank you
so much for your response and your answer. I think your site
is one of the most helpful I have ever seen.... so personal
and interactive! I am a Master Gardener and webmaster for
the University of Missouri Master Gardener's website for Southwest
Missouri http://www.extension.missouri.edu/greene/mgg/.
I would like your permission to add your site to our link
page. Please let me know if this is feasible.
Jeanne Larsen
Republic, MO
Bee Fly
(04/22/2006) What is this ?
Hello,
I saw this bug in our garden today. I am in the UK and have
never seen anything like it before. It was moving like a humming
bird, but does not look like any of the pictures of a hummingbird
moth I could find anywhere else.
Thanks
John
Hi John,
After reading your letter, we were pleasantly surprised that
upon opening the image, it was not a Hummingbird Moth, but
a Bee Fly in the family Bombyliidae.
Syrphid
Fly
(04/20/2006) What kind of bee is this?
Dear bugman,
Found this bee in the mountains of centeral Idaho just below
McCall. Do you know what kind it is? Is it a honey bee?
Thanks,
Allyson labrum
Hi Allyson,
This is a Syrphid Fly, also known as a Hover Fly. It looks
to us like a female Sericomyia chrysotoxoides according to
this image on BugGuide.
Bathroom Fly
(04/16/2006) Adult case bearing moth?
Hi again, thanks to your site I have identified the case bearing
larvae I have found but you do not seem to have photo's of
the moth..........is this one? He was only a few millimetres
in size but very quick. In one photo he is on a fine net curtain
which should give you an indication of his size. If he is
and the the photo's are of any use feel free to post them.
I live in Cornwall, U.K.
Anthony
Hi Anthony,
This is actually a Bathroom Fly, one of the Moth Flies. They
breed in sink drains.
Bee Fly
(04/08/2006) 2 great iPhotos
Dear Bugman:
I'm found your website trying to identify this bug we found
today. We live in Maine and it is Spring, but not very warm.
So I was amazed to see any bug today. It is almost 40 degrees
but feels colder than that. I hope you can see the bug from
the pictures I took. It has a very fuzzy body as though a
moth or an extra fuzzy fly. It's not narrow at all, but rounded
in body. It has fly-like wings that seem to stick out all
of the time like an airplane. We haven't seen it flap it's
wings at all. It has this very obvious "proboscis"
and very short antennae (maybe 1/16th of an inch). It has
six legs. We were thinking that it might be some kind of fly
or an immature moth, if there is such a thing. Can you help?
Thanks so much for your time.
Dube Family
Hi Dube Family,
This is a Bee Fly, Bombylius major. According to BugGuide,
their flight time is April.
South
African Bee Fly
(04/05/2006) What the bug?
Hi there,
We have a few bugs we would like to know about. We found this
fly in Gouritsmond on a farm, Eastern Cape Province, South
Africa.
Daan
We suspect this pretty white fly is a Bee Fly in the Family
Bombyliidae, but your photo does not show the proboscis which
would aid identification.
Hover Fly
(03/19/2006) What kind of bee?
Hello Bugman!
I'm helping my son with a school project. We are taking pictures
of different insects on our property. This bee was found near
our pond. We have been unable to find out exactly what type
of bee it is. Can you help us out?
Thanks in advance!
Ruthie & Mason Rodgers
Fredericksburg, VA
Hi Ruth and Mason,
This is not a bee, but an American Hover Fly, Metasyrphus
americanus. You can tell flies from bees because flies have
two wings and most other insects, including bees, have four
wings.
Rat-Tailed Maggot
(03/19/2006) grub?
We found this little creature in a water oak in Blountstown,
FL (North FL). I've searched the internet with out any luck.
It's more of a greyish white with a long tail, then a spike
sort of tail.
Miranda
Hi Miranda,
The larva of the Drone Fly, Eristalis tenax, is known as the
Rat-Tailed Maggot. The tail is actually a breathing aparatus
as the Rat-Tailed Maggot is found in sluggish streams and
stagnant ponds that are fouled with organic matter.
Bot Fly Metamorphosis
(02/28/2006) What's this bug?
First of all, Great Site! My daughter has a biology project
coming up soon and I am sure she will find this sight handy.
My kids and I always seem to be hatching something in a jar.
Well, this was our latest surprise. My boys found the cocoon
in the dirt in our back yard. So we stuck it in a jar with
some dirt. A few days later they found a different cocoon
and added it to the jar and there they sat. First inside,
then outside for a while and then back inside. One hatched
within in a month or so, some sort of moth. We thought the
other one didn't make it since it had been a few months and
there was no sign of life. Then one night my son yelled to
me that we had a new family member. That's what we call them,
family members. So, with every new family member comes family
photos. Our album is becoming quite extensive. This one was
not familiar so I didn't let them hold it, thought it could
bite or sting. We searched through our Audubon Society bug
book but couldn't find anything. So I started looking on line
and your site has been wonderful but I still can't find what
it is. Is it a Fly or what? Please tell us more...
Thanks,
Nancy
Riverside, CA
 
Hi Nancy,
We just ran a letter concerning a Bot Fly about a week ago,
but we only had the pupa and no adult photo. Your photo is
the first we have received of an adult Bot Fly or Warble Fly,
Family Oestridae. The Larvae are endoparasites of various
mammals, most notably rodents like squirrels or rats. Other
species are parasitic on deer and a human Bot Fly can be found
in Central America. The female fly lays eggs where the host
will come into contact with them, and the eggs hatch almost
immediately due to the warmth of the hosts body. The larvae
then enter the hosts body usually through an orifice and then
form fleshy warbles with holes to allow the larva to breath.
Thanks for your wonderful contribution. Eric Eaton just provided
us with the following information: " Neat that the bot fly
hatched! It is one in the genus Cuterebra, which are rodent
and rabbit bots (each species prefers either rodents or rabbits).
The adults do not feed, in fact have no mouthparts! Really
cool, rarely seen...."
Syrphid Fly
(02/23/2006) what's this insect?
a small dipterid, about 1/2". Can you ID?
Thanks.
Odophile.
Dear Odophile,
We are guessing this was shot in the same location as your
Argiopes, near San Francisco. We will try to get Eric Eaton
to provide and identification. Eric quickly supplied the following
information: " The fly is a male (eyes meet at top of head)
Syrphid of some kind. Need more images to even entertain a
genus."
Rodent Bot Fly Pupa
(02/18/2006) What the Hell is This!!!
Please Help!
This is probably one of the sickest stories you'll come across..
It was like a scene out of "Aliens". This morning,
I came across our pet greyhound, Merlin, calmly sitting in
our family room, with what appeared to be a rather large,
dead rat in his jaws!!! He immediately dropped it, once I
told him to. Our back yard, while fenced in, is bordered by
wooded areas. Consequently, we do get the occasional mouse
or rat in the yard. The rat, upon further inspection was not
dead. It was fairly mangled up and appeared to be taking its
last gasps of air. I grabbed a plastic bag and like picking
up dog poop, grabbed the rat by the tail and took it out back.
My wife, by this time, had joined me and the initial shock
of finding such a large, disgusting "present" in
the house had slightly abated; we were quite impressed by
its size. As I turned the rat around by the tail, I thought
I was looking at internal organs that were beginning to "protrude"
through the puncture holes and small lacerations on the rat's
body. . . . To my and my wife's horror, we realized that these
were not organs, but large writhing "things" (grubs,
worms, maggots)!!!!????, boring their way out of the body.
I quickly disposed of the "present", but not before
one of the things in question, dropped to the pool deck, where
I scooped it into a plastic bag for identification. . . .
Since we have no idea what this thing might be, my wife is
now worried that our beloved grey may have swallowed or eaten
one of these creatures and that at this very moment, it is
making a lovely home for itself and its larvae in the body
of our greyhound. Doubtful, but I am passing along the concern.
If you can make out the picture, it is segmented and colored
a dark- greenish black. Tried to identify it myself, but had
no luck. Hope you can help.
MP
Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.
Hi MP,
Based on just your vivid description, we would identify your
creature as a Rodent
Bot Fly, Cuterebra emasculator. This fly which resembles
a Bumble Bee lays its eggs indirectly on habitat and the warmth
of the rodent body causes the eggs to hatch and the maggots
to attach to the host animal. The maggot then enter the rodents
body through an opening, either being licked inside or by
boring through the eye membrane. It then settles beneath the
skin and forms a warble, a type of pimple through which the
parasite can breath and excrete. The parasite is rarely transfered
to another host, and the risk to predators is minimal. Just
to add to your nightmare, there is also a Human
Bot Fly, Dermatobia hominis, reported from Central America.
We have not been able to locate a photo of the Bot Fly Pupa,
but your image is consistant with fly pupa, and the supporting
story lends credance to our identification.
Bathroom Fly
(02/06/2006) I've got a bug for you!!
These first started appearing in our bathroom early last spring.
(2005) It seems like there is always one or two in our bathroom
every morning. This is before the showers start and there
hasn't been any activity in the bathroom overnight. They don't
fly fast and easy to squash. They're about the size of a pencil
eraser. It's annoying as hell! Mater bathroom (where they're
appearing) is on the 2nd floor of a 2 story house in Omaha,
Nebraska. Any help as to what they are and where they're breading?
Don't be confused by the picture. It might look like a common
housefly, but it's not. It's smaller and doesn't fly as fast.
Thanks in advance.
Tim Hayes
Hi Tim,
This is a Bathroom Fly, Clogmia albipunctata. Indoors, they
breed in sink traps, drains and dead flow areas in household
plumbing.
Fly Eggs on Taco Filling
(02/04/2006) bug eggs
Hi There
Please don't be disturbed by this photo, as it isn't poo,
it's actually some taco mince. ANYWAY it hadn't been sitting
in the pan for that long, but when i went back there were
these 2 bunches of white egg things something had laid there.
I had a foil cover over it, but obviously i didn't cover it
very well. But yeah, do you by any chance know what kind of
bug eggs they are? Like are they maggot eggs? The only other
bugs i have seen around the place are ants (though there were
none around near the eggs or anything), spiders (only really
little ones and some daddy long legs) and a praying mantis
i saw earlier around but i doubt it was that. So i'm guessing
it was the flies =S Sorry if i sound like a complete idiot
but i am just really curious.
Donna
Hi Donna,
You might be ruining tacos for some of our readers. They look
like Fly Eggs. They are consistant with Fly behavior. We are
going on the record that they are probably Fly Eggs which
will hatch into Maggots. Often we get letters from people
who just don't understand where swarms of flies come from
in their clean homes. Imagine a scenario where you didn't
notice the eggs, threw the meat in the garbage, waited a few
days to take it outside during a heat spell. The eggs would
hatch and develop quickly. The maggots would crawl out of
the garbage to pupate and then miraculously appear as a swarm
of flies in a few more day, after all evidence was removed.
Thanks for sending in the photo.
Two
Native Bees and a Beelike Tachnid Fly
(01/23/2006) Can you please help me identify some mystery
pollinators
Dear Bugman,
I really appreciate your site and the information that you
share, your photos and descriptions have helped me identify
several mystery insects, including sweat bees, hover flies
and bee killers, and I'm hopping that you might be able to
help me identify a few more. I have attached three photographs
of separate insects, all of which appear to be pollinators
which I have found in my yard. I have recently taken an interest
into native pollinators since I have taken up the hobby of
beekeeping. I truly admire the labor of these critters, I
just wish I could identify them by name. I think I know the
identity of two of my submissions, I believe one to be a 'blue
orchard mason bee', and the other I think is a photograph
of two separate 'leaf cutter bees', perhapses alfalfa leaf
cutters. Both of these apparently solitary insects last spring
and summer had taken to laying eggs in a nesting block I installed
in my garden.
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 |
|
Leafcutter Bee |
Orchard Mason Bee |
The last picture is of a critter that has me confused as to
it's true identity. This bumble bee sized fly-like creature
is pictured on a stevia plant (aka sugar herb), but seems
to also like holly and basil flowers, they however completely
avoid catnip in bloom, which is odd as it seems to attract
every other pollinator I've seen in my yard. They seem to
be particularly prevalent around my beehive, though this may
simply be coincidence. Can you help me identify this last
specimen, and confirm my beliefs on the previous too? Any
help that you could lend would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Robert Engelhardt
Hi Robert,
We will post your images of the Orchard
Mason Bee and Leafcutter Bee and see if we can get an
exact species names for you. Meanwhile, your mystery pollinator
is a Beelike Tachnid Fly, Bombyliopsis abrupta. The adults
drink nectar, and the larvae are internal parasites on caterpillars.
Update From Eric Eaton
"Yes, the left one is a female Megachile sp., though not the
one he thought it was. The right one is a male Osmia sp.,
no telling which one from the image alone. Both are very nice
images. Eric"
Picture
Winged Fly
(12/15/2005) Fruit fly but what species?
Tephritidae?
Otitidae?
"Picture wing"?
Help, Please.
Cheri Miller
Hi Cheri,
We wanted Eric Eaton's opinion before writing back to you.
Here is his response: " No, don't recognize the genus or species,
but am fairly certain it is a picture-winged fly in the family
Ulidiidae (formerly Otitidae), or something very closely related.
The host plant should help you narrow it down further, in
your copious spare time. Eric "
Bee
Fly from Brazil
(12/10/2005) Pollinator fly
Hello!
I found your site while trying to ID a pollinator fly I observed
at 2100m on the Serra dos Orgaos mountains in Rio de Janeiro
state, SE Brazil. Here's a picture, I'm hoping you can help.
Thanks,
Fernando Rivadavia
 
Hi Fernando,
This is a Bee Fly in the Family Bombyliidae. We can't give
you an exact species. Bee Flies are furry stout bodied flies
that resemble Bumble Bees. Many species have very elongated
beaklike mouthparts which your underside view shows nicely.
They feed on flower nectar by hovering motionless and drinking
from that elongated beak.
Window Fly Larva
(12/02/2005) larva from compost
Hello
these guys are in my compost heap. Are they good, should I
be worried?
Joseph Morabito
Wildomar Cal
Picture was taken late Nov 2005
Hi Joseph,
This looks like a Window Fly Larva, Hermetia illucens. These
are large flies that look like black wasps. The larvae feeds
on decaying fruits and vegetables and is often found in compost
heaps. It is thought that it might prey on more pestiferous
maggots. They are benign.
Flower
Fly
(11/25/2005) Bee or Fly
good morning,
During a recent visit to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior
Arizona my wife took this photo of a flying insect that was
on a 'Butterfly Bush'. Is this creature a fly or a bee.
Jim and Daniele BOLLER
Hi Jim and Daniele,
We contacted Eric Eaton for assistance on your fly identification.
Here is his response: "he fly is a flower fly (family Syrphidae),
in the genus Copestylum (formerly part of Volucella). They
are common on desert broom (Baccharis) flowers at this time
of year (well, a little late, actually, but late October,
early November)."
Australian
Robber Fly
(11/10/2005) a strange bug from central australia
Hi Bugman,
We found this funny looking creature at our chook shed this
morning. I thought it looked like Darth Vader! It has a very
orange upper abdomen which it flashes when beating wings.
It also has hairy and very long legs. It was about 5cm
long. It has a proboscus like a cicada... My girlfriend thinks
its a cicada...I think it's a Star Wars character..! Help
Jay and Ada - Alice Springs, Australia
Hi Jay and Ada,
This swift flying predator is a Robber Fly. By the way, one
of our favorite books is Ada by Vladimir Nabokov and it has
hundreds of insect references. |
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