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Tachinid Fly

Protodejeania sp.

Description:

The tachinid fly is identified by the hairs on its usually colorful abdomen. It seems to enjoy the drink I took with me on a hike -- some good old Green Machine Naked juice. :) There were quite a few that I saw on that day (the last picture shows another one, covered with what looks like pollen), and all were about 3 centimeters in length. Hard to find any information on them, but this article was useful (http://greennature.com/gallery/flying-in...) ; it describes how the insect uses parasitism which is actually beneficial as they naturally destroy pests such as gypsy moth infestations in a forest.

Habitat:

They're usually on the hunt for many sorts of flowers, with this one being an exception. They were found along the Old Baldy trail that takes you to Mt. Wrightson, a high peak that is reached through Madera Canyon, all in the state of Arizona. The elevation was about 8,000 feet from the ground. From an article, I am informed that they are native to Mexico and the US, specifically California and Arizona.

Notes:

In the second image, it appears to be reading the text before drinking the juice that's collected on the outside of the bottle. Picky fly!

1 Species ID Suggestions

Tachinid Fly
Protodejeania Genus Protodejeania - BugGuide.Net


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5 Comments

Ivan Rodriguez
Ivan Rodriguez 12 years ago

SmallWonders, you are absolutely right! They help keep infestations in check and look great, all while being a fly. :)
ceherzog, thank you! :)

ceherzog
ceherzog 12 years ago

Great shots of a beneficial insect!

Small Wonders
Small Wonders 12 years ago

Happy to help :) I love new encounters with Tachinid sp. - These are great flies to have around for controlling other insects & they're really cool to look at ;)

Ivan Rodriguez
Ivan Rodriguez 12 years ago

I can't thank you enough SmallWonders, I've been wondering what in the world such a strange fly like this one could be! Thanks for the ID. :)

Small Wonders
Small Wonders 12 years ago

Tachinids are beneficial parasitic flies - Many of their hosts are destructive timber and agricultural pests.

Ivan Rodriguez
Spotted by
Ivan Rodriguez

Arizona, USA

Spotted on Oct 22, 2011
Submitted on Oct 23, 2011

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