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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Orthorrhapha" (Brachycera excluding Aschiza and Schizophora) » Stratiomyomorpha » Soldier flies (Stratiomyidae) » Hermetia » Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)
Photo#207602
fly/wasp with yellow
Copyright © 2008 craftymom

fly/wasp with yellow "socks" - Hermetia illucens
Los Angeles Westchester, Los Angeles County, California, USA
July 29, 2008
Size: 1 inch plus
This fly/wasp is sitting on a sunflower leaf. The fly/wasp is at least an inch long, probably a bit over. It's antennae were moving constantly but otherwise he/she did not move a bit. It looks a bit like the cricket hunters I have seen online (and our yard could keep some of those happy), but this one has yellow "socks" and brownish "shoes". We do have a fig tree about 10 feet from this sunflower plant that is covered in birds and bugs. We had a decent sized earthquake about an hour before this pick was taken (it really quieted down the bird activity).

Images of this individual: tag all
fly/wasp with yellow fly/wasp with yellow fly/wasp with yellow
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Contributed by craftymom on 29 July, 2008 - 4:27pm
Last updated 30 July, 2008 - 6:18pm

Maybe...
...some type of soldier fly? Hermetia species maybe?
… Tom, 29 July, 2008 - 8:08pm login or register to post comments

 
wow!
Looking up your suggested Hermetia, I found this guy: http://bugguide.net/node/view/119240, Hermetia illucens, the Black Soldier Fly.
Which looks pretty much just like mine--the legs, the feet, the white marking between the 2 sets of back legs, and I didn't realize I had caught a bit of the eye patterning, in spite of not having a great lens. The picture above is much nicer :)
… craftymom, 29 July, 2008 - 9:26pm login or register to post comments

Just a guess but...
How about Common Sawfly (Tenthredinidae)?

Look through some of these images.

-and-

Welcome to BugGuide!
… Ron M., 29 July, 2008 - 4:34pm login or register to post comments

 
thank you
for the welcome! I added 2 better images (I obviously have no macro lens), I didn't realize the first would be so small. I went through all those pics and found a few similar ones, but none with this leg pattern. Close, though. I did find the "pear slug" sawfly larvae that are very similar to what we call bird poop bugs (we get them on our peach tree). So we definitely have sawflies!
… craftymom, 29 July, 2008 - 5:35pm login or register to post comments

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