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Scaptia auriflua
A medium to large brightly coloured furry fly with yellow and black lines and bands, fresh white furry underparts, longish black legs, incredible green metallic reflective eyes. 10mm
Crawling slowly up tubular grass stem in dry sclerophyll woodland.
Note 'March flies' are more often Scaptia in Australia and might be called 'Horse flies' overseas. This one is male. This species of Scaptia is special in that the female is a flower feeder unlike other species in the genus (blood suckers), males are all flower feeders. I'm fairly sure this was a very young new one as it was moving very tentatively up the grass stem. Variable appearances... http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_...
Spotted on Dec 2, 2012
Submitted on Dec 2, 2012
10 Comments
Wow, I hadn't realized it was the same fly as Martin's - without the abdomen I didn't make the connection. So neat you have the male!
Thanks Martin, Adarsha, KrantiAzad
Beautiful compound eyes .......
Green eyes are superb! Look like a dynamo in Bicycle!
The eyes are incredible. Satyen is correct.
Sorry Lauren I've been researching and editing while you were commenting :) You're right there's too many problems for Syrphid... too woolly for one... will check it later... thanks.
And this one is for sure a male.
I don't think this is a syrphid. It is either a Tabanid or another one of your famous finds - those Pelecorhynchids. Can you have found two of those in a single week? It has got the same wing venation. Definently not Syrphidae.
Thanks Satyen. Fly eyes really are amazing aren't they.
Beautiful eyes!