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Fly on fire
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
I think maybe this is some kind of tachinid fly,
Trichopoda species.
Tachinids are flies - insects belonging to the insect order 'diptera' and, within that order, the superfamily 'Calyptrae' and family 'Tachinidae'. Their closest relatives are the house flies (Muscidae), 'blue-bottles' (Calliphopidae), 'flesh flies' (Sarcophagidae) and some smaller families - the Rhinophoridae and Oestridae.
Tachinids are commonly refered to as ’Parasitic Flies’ because the larvae feed on the body tissues of immature or adult invertebrates. However, although we use the term parasite they are really parasitoids - the difference being that parasites (like tapeworms) don’t kill their hosts, but parasitoids usually cause the death of the host in some way - either by killing them outright - or by weakening them so much that they die - or in the case of 'clepto-parasitoids', by eating the host's food.
The vast majority of species attack the larval stages of their host - but a few have been known to start their attack at the egg, pupa or adult stages. Eggs are either: injected into the host with a sharp , dagger-like piercing organ (flies don't actually have an ovipositor, like some wasps); or laid on the skin of the host (often in places that are impossible for the host to reach and clean off); or they can even be laid in bulk on the host's food and can either jump onto a host as it walks past or enter the host's body through its gut when the egg is eaten.
Flies of the family Tachinidae will parasitize a variety of other insects, including Lepidoptera larvae, katydids, and cicadas. |
bobair, Alex99 has marked this note useful
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- bobair
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 398 W: 118 N: 1435]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(5172) - [2007-10-06 20:10]
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Hi Tanja,
your capture looks good to me and this fly looks similar to a less pleasant fly-the deerfly which is something to be avoided if possible.Here were I live we too had Tachinids as well but somewhat different looking.I like the way the sunlight filters through the abdomen of this insect and your title makes sense because of that.Good note as well.Thanks for giving us this view. Bob
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- batu
(13358)
- [2007-10-06 22:59]
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Hello Tanja,
you captured not only the interesting fly but also beautiful light here unerlining the colour specifities of th insect. I wished some parts of the fly to be sharper - the outlines are a little blurred. I think you have the same wish.
So, best wishes, Peter
Hi Tanja, beautiful fly with splendid colors, excellent sharpness and great details, very well done, ciao Silvio
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- Alex99
(18539)
- [2007-10-09 0:44]
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Hi Tanja.
A bit soft but nice picture of this pictorial fly. Excellent POV, composition of the shot, rich colours and details. My compliments and best regards.
Alexei.
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 238 W: 6 N: 391]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif){kind=small}