Diptera - Ceriana - BugGuide.Net

Nice Syrphid!!

It is, and it belongs to the genus Ceriana!
According to Nomina diptera, in the Nearctic there are 5 species of Ceriana. I know Ceriana abbreviata, and it´s different from this one, so that leaves us with four species:
C. mime, C. pictula, C. snowi and C. tridens.
Greetings,

… Gerard Pennards, 17 November, 2007 - 5:00pm

WOW -

its Gerard coming to the rescue, thanks! We have a couple of posts on this genus.

… Hartmut Wisch, 17 November, 2007 - 10:10pm

Mr. Hartmut- I appreciate you

Mr. Hartmut- I appreciate your input not your opinion of me. I am just a retired person with a photo hobby of insects and trying to help BugGuide. Please help me help you. An inexperienced person but if we work together we can both improve BugGuide. I have many good pictures of insects and am willing to work with you experts to meaningfully contribute them. I see my pictures in my photo album and that is enough for me but that helps nobody else. I would like to share them with interested persons such as you.

… Gerald (Jerry) R. Donehew, 17 November, 2007 - 10:32pm

Thanks!

… Gerald (Jerry) R. Donehew, 17 November, 2007 - 9:02pm

Nice picture, Jerry,

and some interesting comments!

… HandsOff, 16 November, 2007 - 4:28am

Thanks for your positive expr

Thanks for your positive expression. Negative ones do not help me learn this business.

… Gerald (Jerry) R. Donehew, 17 November, 2007 - 10:35pm

Jerry, nice to see this post, but suggest change of title!

This is NOT a wasp (nor anything else in Hymenoptera). This is in the order Diptera ! Its a fly, by the one pair of wings and the clearly visible halteres. It is, however, a wasp mimic, even praying on wasps - or bumble bees -(female briefly pounces on a host, oviposits, & larvae develop as internal parasitoids, that is they kill the host): family Conopidae , probably either Physocephala , or Physoconops ; I think the former, because of the way the hind femur is thickened. Too bad, the wing venation isn't clearly showing, that would make it easier. Anyway this is a start, and Ron had the right direction in going to flies.

… Hartmut Wisch, 15 November, 2007 - 10:10pm

Thanks for your imput

… Gerald (Jerry) R. Donehew, 17 November, 2007 - 10:36pm

Moved

Moved from Mischocyttarus mexicanus cubicola.

… George Waldren, 15 November, 2007 - 8:51pm

Thanks!

Thanks!moved to ID request

… Gerald (Jerry) R. Donehew, 15 November, 2007 - 9:44pm

Syrphid?

I think you have a wasp mimic here (and in one other just-posted photo #156937). Check the shape of the antennae - sort of spaded here and typically round cross-section on a wasp - thicker upper abdomen here and non-overlapping pattern on the lower abdomen. Also, aren't those halteres behind the wings?

… Ron Hemberger, 15 November, 2007 - 7:05pm

thanks! moved to ID request

thanks! moved to ID request and changed title to Diptera

… Gerald (Jerry) R. Donehew, 15 November, 2007 - 9:49pm