Meadow visitor

That is a bent schnozzled beak butter (Snortus palookii). They are an endangered species, primarily because they have great difficulty eating.

Other than that, looks like a bit of camera motion, but still good hand holding at 1/21 of a second.

One or both you Carolyn and you Phil are yanking our leg. It's not nice to fool old people.

Oh my, I don't know what I would do without the experts like Phil on this forum! Why, I might have gone and killed this poor endangered species and then I would be in real trouble! Phil, you helped liven up my day.
Charlie, even though this is one strange alien looking insect, it is a real, legitimate photo of an insect. I must admit Phil had me going there for a bit; I can be gullible when it comes to this stuff since I know so little.

Look at that picture that Phil uses as his logo. That smile tells you something if you let it. He had us believing that a spider that someone posted had problems with it's member falling off. I'm not kidding you.

By the way I looked all through my bug guide and didn't find anything that looked close. The eyes look like a fly, the abdomen like a bee or wasp and the wings, not close but the only thing there that seems a maybe is dragonfly.

Good luck and I'll be watching.

What a cool critter, nice work on the shot.

Cool bug, but I don't much like those mouth parts! Looks like a drill.

Sandy (whose arms/legs/neck/face every biting bug within a mile will sample)

I can't help with the ID, but it certainly is an interesting type of fly. It looks just a tad OOF and I would guess because of the 1/21 sec and hand held. For those settings you did remarkably well --- I can't get away with anything less than 1/80.

Great POV. Where's Gil Grissom when you need him?

Wow! Nice complimentary colors here, Carolyn. Interesting bug, for sure.

Chrisie Jackson
Denver, Colorado

I'm pretty sure it's a Picture Wing Fly - pretty bizarre!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulidiidae

Now I'll know what it is IF I ever see one. Once you've seen that face, it's unlikely you'll ever forget it.

Although the bent schnozzled beak butter guess was pretty close...

Tom, great job finding that ID! Now the rest of us don't have to keep looking. :) :)

Way to come through with the ID, Tom! I looked up Ulidiidae on Wikipedia as you suggested and there on the right side is almost the same picture I have. So now I know it is a "Picture wing fly", of the Ulidiidae family. Thanks Tom!

Next time I see one I will try to get it more in focus even though my camera was handheld, 1/21 sec. shutter speed (ext. tubes cut down on light), slight wind blowing, and I was on my hands and knees bent over with my head almost upside down with weeds tickling my nose while trying to get this shot! HaHa. Seriously though I am still trying to work at getting sharper moving insect pictures. I do use burst mode which means some may get ok but got to get that shutter speed higher. I think I may have had my polarizing filter on (oops) and I could jack up the ISO more and somehow add more light while crawling after a moving insect.

Carolyn:
Sure is a weird looking critter. Hope you see another again and post it for us to enjoy (Ain't bug people funny?)