#conopidae

[razehider]

due to their elongated proboscis, conopids often look like they're holding a cigarette in their mouths. the cool noir detective in this photo is probably a Thecophora, and unlike its flashier Sicus and Myopa cousins, it perched nicely for a bit instead of divebombing a source of nectar and immediately darting off

(June 14th, 2025)

[wedontneedfeatherstofly]

Physocephala tibialis

[miyrumiyru]

Love on a leaf!

Not gonna lie, this situation is kinda... hot.

조잔벌붙이파리 (Conops flavipes)

[coolbugs]

Bug of the Day

HAPPY FLY DAY FRIDAY!!!

Found these cool flies at my blacklight the other night, thought they were two different species, but they are actually a male and female of the same species, Stylogaster neglecta, a type of thick-headed fly. Can you tell which one is the female?

[cnestus]

animals i saw at work

[onenicebugperday]

@microecobus submitted: Why Conopidae are doing that with their forelegs? I think this species is Melanosoma bicolor, but others species from the family also doing that.

Maybe they're working out, trying to get super buff. Just kidding, but I don't know! I've seen this behavior in other flies in Conopidae, but I've never seen an explanation other than possibly some form of wasp mimicry, trying to make their front legs look like wiggly wasp antennae. But that seems a pretty tenuous explanation to me.

[platycryptus]

it’s weird fly hour and on today’s weird fly menu is this thing, Physocephala tibialis.

not only does it afford protection by looking like a wasp (and enjoys... waving?), these things are parasitoids of bees and wasps. This one is a male, but females have a clearly visible ‘can opener’ structure on their abdomen to pry open the segments of their victim’s abdomen and insert eggs.

[miyrumiyru]

Family Conopidae (Thick-headed flies)

Females are parasite the bees (especially to bumblebees) by opening the victim's abdomen like a can (＠_＠;)

Adults feeding on nectar :P

(F) 산타로벌붙이파리 (Conops santaroi)

(F) Waisted beegrabber (Physocephala rufipes)