Posted by Pam Colander on September 4, 2011 at 6:12 PM
Wanted to see if anyone here could help with the ID of this critter. It was nectaring on wild aster and stonecrop. It looks like the result of bee having a one-nighter with a fly. Tufted, prickly clumps of black hairs were interesting...looks like a fly with the coloring of a bee. Any ideas? Thanks!
Posted by Pam Colander on September 4, 2011 at 6:13 PM
Here's a side view of it...
Posted by Morris McClung on September 4, 2011 at 6:54 PM
I don't know, maybe a Flee or a Bye?
Posted by Jack Garrett on September 4, 2011 at 8:16 PM
Looks like Todd C after 3 days of not shaving.
Posted by Kane Engelbert on September 4, 2011 at 8:28 PM
That's easily the most spectacular, hairy, plump, maggot bearing little fella I've ever seen. I want a macro shot of that thing blown up to about 24x36 in my livingroom!!!
I'm a fly, I play defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos....
Posted by John Mumaw on September 4, 2011 at 8:56 PM
I have no idea what this insect is, but I have to say that you've done a magnificent job in capturing it in it's environment!
Posted by Pam Colander on September 4, 2011 at 9:21 PM
Ha! Is this thing a hot mess or what? Thank gawd they are placid. If it had landed on me the scream would've been heard on Mars!
Posted by Richard Olsen on September 4, 2011 at 9:42 PM
That is one UGLY bug!!! And well captured!
Can't wait for someone to give the scientific info!
Posted by Richard Olsen on September 4, 2011 at 9:54 PM
Posted by Dan Walters on September 4, 2011 at 9:57 PM
Great detail! Not sure what that is!
Posted by Paul Martin on September 4, 2011 at 10:50 PM
I'm guessing its Adejeania vexatrix, but that is strictly a guess since I'm no bug expert.
Posted by Kurt Bowman on September 5, 2011 at 11:22 AM
Pam, never in y life have I seen one of these...except it does sort of look like Jeff Goldblum's character in the remake of The Fly I don't think I would want it landing on me either! May want to post this on the macro gallery, that group really knows their bugs.
Both shots are super cool, but I think #1 takes the cake for me. BTW, where did you find this?
Posted by Pam Colander on September 5, 2011 at 2:06 PM
Wow, great detective work Richard! I'm pretty sure my particular Tachinid fly is this, Paradejeania rutiliodes. They are actually EXTREMELY beneficial to have in your garden. They parasitize all sorts of nasty pests effectively controlling them. Geeze, I might have to go out and give them a massage and serve them chocolates and honey! Here's a great link to it and all sorts of flies, just scroll down slightly to see my guy http://waynesword.palomar.edu/redmite6.htm Thanks for the fun comments and the help.
Kurt, they are in my garden here in Trinidad.
Pam, GREAT capture of "whatever the heck it is." I'm glad it turned out to be something beneficial - otherwise you should keep it THERE. It still looks like an ugly, nasty thing.. and I wanted to know (maybe you do too!) if the sucker BITES. This is the info I found :
"If handled roughly, robber flies (at least the larger ones) can inflict a painful bite. They practice "extraoral digestion," which means they shoot enzymes into their prey to pre-digest it by liquifying the tissues. Would probably destroy human tissue a little bit as well. They probably do inject a venom as well, to stop their prey from struggling, accounting for how some can bring down large grasshoppers, or even dragonflies!"
Sandy
Posted by Morris McClung on September 5, 2011 at 3:38 PM
Oh, yeah, and both shots are excellent, Pam! Great color, clalrity, and your comps work great as well. You might try one of these over on the Macro forum and see how it "flies."
Posted by Todd Caudle on September 5, 2011 at 4:04 PM
Three days of not shaving? Being a fair-skinned redhead whose beard grows like soft peach fuzz, I wouldn't look like that after two months of not shaving! Cool shots, Pam!
Discussion
15 repliesI'm a fly, I play defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos....
Can't wait for someone to give the scientific info!
http://bugguide.net/node/view/172241
Both shots are super cool, but I think #1 takes the cake for me. BTW, where did you find this?
Kurt, they are in my garden here in Trinidad.
"If handled roughly, robber flies (at least the larger ones) can inflict a painful bite. They practice "extraoral digestion," which means they shoot enzymes into their prey to pre-digest it by liquifying the tissues. Would probably destroy human tissue a little bit as well. They probably do inject a venom as well, to stop their prey from struggling, accounting for how some can bring down large grasshoppers, or even dragonflies!"
Sandy