Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

Fly

Tephritidae

1 Species ID Suggestions

João Burini
João Burini 10 years ago
Fruit fly
Tephritidae sp.


Sign in to suggest organism ID

9 Comments

Sckel
Sckel 10 years ago

Obrigada, Adarsha.

Adarsha B S
Adarsha B S 10 years ago

Looks like a plastic toy :P

Sckel
Sckel 10 years ago

Lauren, thanks for your explanation of the mouthparts of the fly. "gas mask" was the first thing I thought when I saw this thing flies projected out. Thanks again for your attention. I am unable to ID this fly, I'm a little angry about it. I edited the ID, left that way: Fly / Tephritidae.

LaurenZarate
LaurenZarate 10 years ago

Signal Flies often have these "gas mask" mouthparts. Big sucking saprophytic mouthparts. This really does look similar to your other spotting in the Family Ricardiidae. This could be Platystomatidae (Signal Flies) or Ricardiidae (sometimes also called Signal Flies). Both these families are in the SuperfamilyTephritoidea (which also contains the Fruit Flies: Tephritidae). I don't think this one is a Tephritid. Wish we could check the actual specimen.

StephenSolomons
StephenSolomons 10 years ago

Looks a bit like the mouth-parts of the alien in Aliens

Sckel
Sckel 10 years ago

I do not know what is this thing, I'll search later. Just know that is retractable.

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 10 years ago

That protrusion from the head in pic 2 (mouth parts?) is fascinating.

Sckel
Sckel 10 years ago

Hi, Lauren. It has the abdomen inward and a thin extension in the abdomen, I do not know if it's ovipositor. Looks like this, you helped me ID:
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/323...
However, it is larger. I do not remember how he moved the wings, I remember it was hiding on the other side of the leaf, until he chafed at my insistence and flew. Thanks for your attention.

LaurenZarate
LaurenZarate 10 years ago

Hi Sckel, do you remember if this fly was waving its wings all about when you saw it? I think this might be a Signal Fly, Family Platystomatidae. This link has Signal Flies from Australia, similar. I didn't yet find any Brasilian ones that look like yours.
http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_...
Other interesting links:
http://www4.uwm.edu/fieldstation/natural...
http://beetlesinthebush.wordpress.com/20...

Sckel
Spotted by
Sckel

Cariacica, ES, Brazil

Spotted on Jan 3, 2014
Submitted on Jan 3, 2014

Spotted for Mission

Related Spottings

Fruit flies, Nasionnica Fruit Fly Fruit Fly Fruit Flies

Nearby Spottings

Golden Jumping Spider Small Mocis Moth Lynx spider Leaf Beetle
Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team