#feather legged fly

[dogfennel]

milkweed attention

[onenicebugperday]

Feather-legged bristle fly, Trichopoda lanipes, Tachinidae

Found throughout the eastern United States and down into Mexico, this species, like other bristle flies, is a protelean parasitoid with primarily true bug hosts. Adults feed on flower nectar, true bug honeydew, and pollen.

Photos 1-2 (female) by smeckert and 3-4 (male) by louiseinva

[celestialmacros]

When I first caught a glimpse of this I thought it was a picture wing fly (Ulidiidae,) and then I thought is was some sort of hoverfly (Syrphidae) with black wings.  Turns out that it is a tachnid (Tachinidae) fly.

Feather-Legged fly, possibly Trichopoda pennipes

Sept 29, 2017

Southeastern Pennsylvania

[onenicebugperday]

@icykali​ submitted: Hello! I've been lucky enough to take some great photos this year that you might like. Here's a swift feather-legged fly. I've seen many of these in the past few months and I think they look really unique.

They are very cool! Look at those leg tufts. Sooo fashionable~

[onenicebugperday]

@berrypeacherine​ submitted: A cute friend I saw on my walk to work the other day!

And here are some friends who visited my garden in PA (eastern USA) last summer. Would love to know who the two fly-like friends are!

Thanks for your contagious enthusiasm- I've always loved bugs, but I love them more now! And I'm much better with spiders and centipedes than I used to be. 🧡

A lovely bunch of fellows! I used to be afraid of spiders and centipedes too but life is so much better when everything is a friend :)) The green pal is a long-legged fly in the genus Condylostylus, likely Condylostylus patibulatus. The other fly is a swift feather-legged fly, Trichopoda pennipes.

[onenicebugperday]

@secreteggent​ submitted: Saw these dudes last weekend and it looks like the second guy (some sort of true bug?) has some growths on him. Do you have any idea what they could be? (the insects and the growths)

They were seen in [removed] (please remove). Thank you!

I sure do! The criminal in the first photo is a Japanese beetle. The second is a leaf-footed bug in the genus Acanthocephala with tachinid fly eggs on it. Most likely the eggs are from a feather-legged fly in the genus Trichopoda! In your area, probably Trichopoda pennipes. Unfortunately, since the flies are parasitoids, the leaf-footed bug is likely doomed to be eaten by the larvae.

[onenicebugperday]

@sonofsimon submitted: This very chill Feather-legged Fly landed on my hand and let me take pictures of it. I transfered it to a leaf when I was done. I'm in Michigan.

What a lovely visitor! My favorite part is their little white toes. Precious.

[fatchance]

Feather-legged fly (Trichopoda pennipes), in Portsmouth, Virginia. 

The entry for this critter at bugguide.net notes that this North American fly has been introduced to Europe to control agricultural pests. 

Please click photo for full view.