#stilt-legged fly

[textless]

[coolbugs]

Bug of the Day

It’s Fly Day Friday! Please enjoy this pair of stilt-legged flies (Micropezidae family) that I photographed last July.

[ecuadorlife]

Stilt-legged Fly, Taeniapterinae by Andreas Kay Via Flickr: from Ecuador: www.flickr.com/andreaskay/albums

[ecuadorlife]

Stilt-legged Fly, Poecilotylus sp., Taeniapterinae by Andreas Kay Via Flickr: from Ecuador: www.flickr.com/andreaskay/albums

[ecuadorlife]

Stilt-legged Fly, Poecilotylus sp., Taeniapterinae by Andreas Kay Via Flickr: from Ecuador: www.flickr.com/andreaskay/albums

[speciesofleastconcern]

280 days of Urbpandemonium #226

When I saw this animal I wasn't sure if I was seeing a wasp or a fly or some other kind of insect. The illusion is intentional--well, maybe not--the illusion has resulted from evolution. This fly resembles a wasp because it helps it survive. The illusion extends to the fly's front legs, which are marked with white segments, and moved in a way to suggest that they are the wasp's antennae. This is the entirely harmless stilt-legged fly Rainieria antennaepes.

[ecuadorlife]

Stilt-legged Flies mating, Poecilotylus sp. on Flickr.

from Ecuador by Andreas Kay

[astronomy-to-zoology]

Family: Neriidae (Stilt-legged Flies)

Also known as cactus flies or banana stalk flies, Stilt-legged flies are a family of nerioid flies that can be found worldwide, but are found mainly in tropical regions. Many species of stilt-legged flies are sexually dimorphic with males having much longer legs and antennae than females. Most Neriid flies are saprophagous (feeding on decaying organic matter), with larvae developing in rotting vegetable matter. Adults tend to aggregate on rotting matter and damaged tree trunks. 

Classification

Animalia-Arthropoda-Insecta-Diptera-Brachycera-Nerioidea-Neriidae

Images: Jeevan Jose and L. Shyamal