We’ve had a lot of rain in Arizona lately, which makes it a great year for crane flies.
Crane flies look like huge mosquitoes, but they are actually fragile giants. For more information and a peek at the larvae, check this previous post.
We’ve had a lot of rain in Arizona lately, which makes it a great year for crane flies.
Crane flies look like huge mosquitoes, but they are actually fragile giants. For more information and a peek at the larvae, check this previous post.
Sometimes you just get lucky.
Last week I showed you the larva of an Arizona species of flower fly (Syrphidae). Today I found two adults feeding on desert marigold and brittlebush.
Everything is blooming right now.
While taking the photographs of the tiny wasp last week, I noticed another insect that eats aphids.
Do you see it?
How about now?
Here’s a hint.
The caterpillar-like creature is actually the larva of a fly called a flower fly (syrphidae). Although you may think of fly larvae as legless creature found in garbage, the flower fly larvae chase down and eat aphids. They are often pinkish or greenish in color.
The adult flies feed on nectar of flowers, hence the common name. They are often mistaken for honey bees. (This is not the same species as the larva above.)
Have you ever seen a flower fly? Why do you think the larva is so hard to spot?
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