Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Fly ID needed - please!

Posted by dpastern on 16-01-2008 01:34
#1

Spotted this Fly just under 2 weeks ago (5th January) on a shrub in our garden. I'm not sure what type of plant the shrub was.

Location: Ipswich, Australia (just southwest of Brisbane). It was sunning itself late in the afternoon.

This is a crop of the original image, size estimate is about 6mm.

I'm not sure what was meant by "substrate". Anyways, onto the image:

farm3.static.flickr.com/2196/2196400958_63c41f2d3d_o.jpg

Brian [LordV] suggested that I post it here for an ID as it was an unusual looking Fly.

Cheers,

Dave

Posted by Steve Gaimari on 16-01-2008 05:57
#2

Beautiful photo of a beautiful fly! This is a lauxaniid - species is Cephaloconus tenebrosus.

Posted by dpastern on 16-01-2008 06:06
#3

Thank you Stephen!!!! This has been bugging me for a few weeks now! They seem a bit more nervous than the usual flies. This is only the 2nd time in a year that I've seen one of these, so they don't seem very common. I'm usually out in the garden a fair bit with the camera taking images of its inhabitants ;-)

Thanks again, much appreciated.

Cheers,

Dave

Posted by robertwhyte on 27-01-2008 00:20
#4

Here is another image of what looks to me like the same fly. It was resting on a leaf of a frangipanni in my garden at The Gap, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on Sunday, 20 January 2008. Not such a sharp or good image as Dave's, but I'm hoping it's good enough to get a confiramation that it is the Lauxaniid Cephaloconus tenebrosus. It was also about 6mm and allowed itself to be photographed quite closely without flying away. It doesn't appear to be a traditional-looking fly so I am wondering if it is mimicking something, perhaps a treehopper, and if so, why?

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 27-01-2008 00:36
#5

the same fly! :) crazy these Lauxaniids. The most spectacular event I've seen among the flies was precisely in this family!!! I'm talking about eversible glands' action. :D

Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 27-01-2008 00:39

Posted by dpastern on 27-01-2008 02:51
#6

Robert, certainly looks like the same type of fly to me! What is 'eversible glands' action' btw?

Dave

Posted by Steve Gaimari on 27-01-2008 08:47
#7

yes, this is the same fly. the eversible glands referred to were from a terrific series of photographs of a species of Meiosimyza a couple months ago.

Posted by dpastern on 01-04-2010 15:54
#8

Took this 2 weeks ago, heavily pregnant female. 3:1. Since my original image is no longer working due to my original flickr account expiring, I decided to add this new (and much better) image!

http://www.flickr...1/sizes/o/

Dave

Edited by dpastern on 01-04-2010 15:54

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 01-04-2010 16:22
#9

Please add this photo to the gallery. Thanks.

Posted by dpastern on 02-04-2010 05:55
#10

I did that last night, but it's not showing. I didn't get any error messages, is their some sort of approval that happens before images appear in the gallery?

Dave

Posted by jorgemotalmeida on 02-04-2010 11:11
#11

yes. you need wait for the approval.


Posted by dpastern on 03-04-2010 10:44
#12

Ah yes, it's there now, thanks!

Dave