A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Pelecorhynchus flavipennis
A very large fly - 34mm long from wing tips (at rest) to antennae, mostly furry, large black eyes, orange antennae, black thorax with two fine yellow lines, large yellow halteres, stout vacuum-cleaner mouth part, long legs with black femurs and all yellow tibia/tarsi, dark yellow heavily veined wings with black markings, abdomen not seen as it was well covered by the wings.
Resting on suburban footpath.
Found it at last thanks to 'servitude' on Flickr. Identified originally from the proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria May, 1921 - the first spotting was also from here - Ferntree Gully, Victoria. The original is here http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au... .
Very little is known about this family of flies except they feed on Leptospermum (ti-tree) flowers and the family is only known in Australia and Chile. The larvae feed on earthworms near the edge of swamps. As they drain swampy areas around here it is no wonder they are becoming very rare these days. http://anic.ento.csiro.au/insectfamilies...
My challenge now is to determine which (if any) wasp/bee it is mimicking.... March 2014 - Ok we have now spotted a very large black and yellow wasp in the same area which is a predator of large huntsmans (Sparassidae) - a great candidate for mimicry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sydne...
superfamily: TABANOMORPHA
family: PELECORHYNCHIDAE
genus: Pelecorhynchus
At last someone else has seen one of these. Note location. Well done Vinny http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/115...
Finally found a likely candidate for mimicry target for this fly here http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/115...
Spotted on Nov 30, 2012
Submitted on Nov 30, 2012
47 Comments (1–25)
At last someone else has found one of these. Congrats Vinny http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/115...
It really does have a wasp-like stance doesn't it. He's very good at being scary.
This is one of my favorites too!
Thanks Stephen. I've never heard of those wasps before. We saw one today but couldn't get a decent shot. Impressive beasties!! 1741 and this is still my favourite find. :-)
I thought it may be a mimic of the Huntsman Hunter wasp as soon as I saw it. Very nice find indeed, congratulation!
Lauren.. you were spot on with Pelecorhynchidae way back - thanks so much. I think I might have found the group of wasps that this fly might be mimicking - orange spider wasps which paralyse and parasitise hunsmans. (it might make some sense from the fly's position) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sydne...
What an amazing looking fly. Very nice work all around
I think these are the only photos of this species on the internet... or anywhere?
Haha! I've done similar things, I'm sure most of us on PN have. No need to feel alone in your craziness :)
Thanks Leanne. I forgot to write how silly I felt guarding it from pedestrians who would have squashed it. They all took a wide berth because they must have thought I was a crazy person. Maybe I am :)
How interesting! Pleased you have an ID Argy Bee, for your rare & unique fly :)
Thanks Stephen.
Great spotting and series
Got it at last. A very unusual creature. Thanks all !!
wow thats crazy
Thanks Leanne and Martin.. this one really has me stumped. I can't believe something so dramatic and so big has gone undocumented... even in common folklore.
That's a great spotting Argy Bee. Diptera is another page of the entomology book that I haven't opened yet
Oh my goodness! This is amazing Argy Bee!
Director of PADIL, our government organisation for controlling unwanted species... he is on Project Noah sometimes.
I looked up Ken Walker, he is at the Museum - Lucky you, to have such a neat place to go. Wish I could go with you.
Definently!!! Take those two species photos into the University. Is that where Ken Walker is? They are wonderful flies! We don't have that family up here. I can't believe you found two different ones.
This is starting to drive me crazy. I've now read all I can find on Pelecorhynchidae in Aus. and the limit seems to be 20mm... as for Tabanidae... maybe I should talk to Dr Ken Walker.
I think I have your fly: Family Pelecorhynchidae. It is now a family and was once part of the Tabanidae and is closely related.
http://anic.ento.csiro.au/insectfamilies...
It is true what you read, most of the Tabanid females feed on blood and have scissor-like mouthparts. The males however, feed on nectar and pollen. Females have the eyes separated in the middle by a narrow band of head, whereas males have the eyes touching. This one is weird, it doesn't have the eyes either completely separated or completely touching. I'd guess male, based on the mouthparts. I found though, a european species in which the female also does not feed on blood and has male-like mouthparts. Lets see what bugeric24 thinks of this one.
I love his furry thorax. Amazing !