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Project Noah Nature School
Scaptia auriflua
A large fly with golden fur and green eyes. This fly was spotted when the previous one flew away and I assumed it was the same fly and took these two more images. The abdominal spots differ in color and shape. Now it is clear that they are different specimens, possibly different species or gender?
Perched on queen Anne's Lace.
Thank you Mark for the ID http://www.flickr.com/photos/68318667@N0...
Thanks Mark and Lauren.
This is a lesson for me. Try as I might to not study flies, they keep on appearing. It might be an Aussie thing. Mark, these were found at Churchill NP, not Churchill Is. I sometimes don't check that the Geo location got it right. Corrected now,
You're right about female Lauren. I thought the eyes were much further apart on fems in this species but no. Should have checked. Female http://lifeunseen.com/index2_item_7298.p... and male http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/165...
I actually think that your Flower Feeding March Flies 1 and 2 are the same species but with some individual variation. They are also both females, based on the eyes which are not contiguous at the top of the head.
I think the animal feeding march flies might also be on Churchill Island soon. :-( Happy holidays.
Spotted on Jan 4, 2014
Submitted on Jan 4, 2014
+1
