Kelp Fly

Description:

The fly has a grayish black body and yellow-brown legs.

Habitat:

Found on most shorelines in the Northern Hemisphere. This spotting was done at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, an estuary and bird sanctuary located next to the Pacific Ocean.

Notes:

The picture above is of a female. You can see her ovipositor, used for depositing eggs along many species of kelp and seaweed. The larvae feed on dead kelp. This fly is sometimes cultured in the laboratory. Its behavior is studied in an effort to understand sexual selection, especially the topic of female choice. Source for all references: Wikipedia