Rare & Interesting Worldwide Dipterans

Discussion on flies
Post Reply
User avatar
boghaunter1
Premium Member - 2024
Premium Member - 2024
Reactions:
Posts: 271
Joined: Mon May 23, 2022 7:16 pm
Canada

Rare & Interesting Worldwide Dipterans

Post by boghaunter1 »

A Massive Asilidae sp. from Ecuador - 80mm wingspan!

Asilidae sp., Huge 80mm wspn. - Ecuador.jpg
Asilidae sp., Huge 80mm wspn. - Ecuador.jpg (253.34 KiB) Viewed 2066 times

Pantophthalmus tabaninus from Brazil - 60mm wingspan...

Pantophthalmus tabaninus, 60mm wspn, - Brazil.jpg
Pantophthalmus tabaninus, 60mm wspn, - Brazil.jpg (133.57 KiB) Viewed 2066 times

John K.
User avatar
livingplanet3
Premium Member - 2024
Premium Member - 2024
Reactions:
Posts: 584
Joined: Tue May 24, 2022 4:55 pm
United States of America

Re: Rare & Interesting Worldwide Dipterans

Post by livingplanet3 »

boghaunter1 wrote: Wed Mar 22, 2023 7:35 pm A Massive Asilidae sp. from Ecuador - 80mm wingspan!...
Indeed, some of those tropical asilids, pantophthalmids, and mydid flies are incredibly large compared to their temperate relatives.

Here's a species of Pantophthalmus -

Image

and Gauromydas heros -

Image
User avatar
boghaunter1
Premium Member - 2024
Premium Member - 2024
Reactions:
Posts: 271
Joined: Mon May 23, 2022 7:16 pm
Canada

Re: Rare & Interesting Worldwide Dipterans

Post by boghaunter1 »

Wow!.... those 2 photos of humungous tropical flies, in hand, are actually larger than some of the mosquitoes we have up here! :lol: Very impressive, I think even I would do a doubletake/slight freakout if one of those suddenly dropped down on me.... :shock: TFP

John K. :geek:
User avatar
boghaunter1
Premium Member - 2024
Premium Member - 2024
Reactions:
Posts: 271
Joined: Mon May 23, 2022 7:16 pm
Canada

Re: Rare & Interesting Worldwide Dipterans

Post by boghaunter1 »

One of the weirdest looking fly families in the world - the stalk eyed flies - no data

$T2eC16NHJF4FFku0T!)1BSdnJg2Rcw~~60_57.jpg
$T2eC16NHJF4FFku0T!)1BSdnJg2Rcw~~60_57.jpg (93.99 KiB) Viewed 2025 times
$T2eC16ZHJGwE9n)yUYq,BSdnJdRBKw~~60_57.jpg
$T2eC16ZHJGwE9n)yUYq,BSdnJdRBKw~~60_57.jpg (103.58 KiB) Viewed 2025 times

John K.
User avatar
livingplanet3
Premium Member - 2024
Premium Member - 2024
Reactions:
Posts: 584
Joined: Tue May 24, 2022 4:55 pm
United States of America

Re: Rare & Interesting Worldwide Dipterans

Post by livingplanet3 »

boghaunter1 wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:47 pm Wow!.... those 2 photos of humungous tropical flies, in hand, are actually larger than some of the mosquitoes we have up here! :lol: Very impressive, I think even I would do a doubletake/slight freakout if one of those suddenly dropped down on me.... :shock: TFP

John K. :geek:
Mydas clavatus is probably the largest fly in my area. I see them every summer, usually around wood piles. The larvae live in rotting wood, where they are predatory on scarab beetle larvae. The adults (which mimic spider wasps such as Anoplius spp.) have an iridescent blue-black sheen to the wings, and flash bright orange abdominal markings when startled. There's really no comparison to gigantic tropical relatives such as Gauromydas heros, but M. clavatus is quite large for a US species. A couple of photos I took in 2019 -

Image

Image
User avatar
livingplanet3
Premium Member - 2024
Premium Member - 2024
Reactions:
Posts: 584
Joined: Tue May 24, 2022 4:55 pm
United States of America

Re: Rare & Interesting Worldwide Dipterans

Post by livingplanet3 »

Another great photo of a giant timber fly (Pantophthalmus sp.) -

Image
Post Reply

Create an account or sign in to join the discussion

You need to be a member in order to post a reply

Create an account

Not a member? register to join our community
Members can start their own topics & subscribe to topics
It’s free and only takes a minute

Register

Sign in