Early this morning I noticed a number of different flies perched on leaves.
Take this little fellow. It looks like a small version of a house fly.
Is it a “baby” fly?
That was a trick question. “Baby” flies are larvae and pupae. This fly is an adult; it is simply a different species.
Most flies have large eyes, but the head and eyes of this one are smaller relative to the thorax than the species above.
The fly in this photograph looks like a tiny, dark-brown fruit fly. Fruit flies have bright red eyes, but this fly has brown eyes.
Do you have any idea why these flies are sitting on leaves?
Some of the flies are likely basking to warm up in the morning sun. Some might be watching and waiting for potential mates to fly by. The shiny green long-legged flies, however, are on the hunt.
Long-legged flies feed on other insects like tiny leafhoppers. The flies perch on and search leaves looking for a meal.
Have you ever watched flies perched on leaves? What were they doing?
