Thick-headed Fly - Physocephala sagittaria

Not clear there's a female in the bunch

The middle one evidently lacks a theca...and thus is a male. But no theca is definitely visible on the other two either.

The top one is also presumably a male (what reason would a female have for mounting another individual?)

But the bottom one may be a male as well. One can't (correctly) assume there's a female present in any mounted group. (Sometimes males are overly eager and mistakenly mount other males.)

So I'm editing the previously indicated ♂ ♀ to simply ♂ here.

(J.N...if you have other reasons for knowing one was a female...i.e. other photos or a specimen with an evident theca, please edit the info back in.)

… Aaron Schusteff, 18 January, 2014 - 12:35am

Moved

Moved from Physocephala.

With the dark discal cell, the humeral markings, red scutellum (barely visible on top gymnast), and dark facial grooves...there's really only one alternative for species here, P. sagittaria.

(By the way...totally fantastic photo and find :-)

… Aaron Schusteff, 28 December, 2013 - 6:41am

Moved

Moved from Physoconops.

… Matthias Buck, 21 August, 2008 - 11:54am

Thanks Matt for revealing the

Thanks Matt for revealing their true identity.

… J>N>Dell, 21 August, 2008 - 2:46pm

Physocephala

According to Jeff Skevington this should be Physocephala, not Physoconops.

… Matthias Buck, 21 August, 2008 - 11:53am

Could they be massing to attack a stack of ambush bugs?

Or maybe they're inspired by Olympic gymnastics. Quite a fun photo!

… Ron Hemberger, 20 August, 2008 - 10:04am

They could be aliens!!

… J>N>Dell, 20 August, 2008 - 11:03am

Thanks for all the interestin

Thanks for all the interesting comments.

… J>N>Dell, 20 August, 2008 - 6:54pm

"Physoconops stackabilis"

:-]

… v belov, 20 August, 2008 - 9:08am

Funny

That's a funny shot. Somewhere I have a picture of a leaf beetle climbing on to a mating pair.

… John F. Carr, 20 August, 2008 - 6:49am

Clowns.

Obviously they are auditioning to be circus clowns (now can we still fit into that tiny car???:-)

… Eric R. Eaton, 20 August, 2008 - 3:18pm