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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Orthorrhapha" (Brachycera excluding Aschiza and Schizophora) » Asiloidea » Bee Flies (Bombyliidae) » Anthracinae » Anthracini » Anthrax » Anthrax varicolor
Photo#229306
Mating Bee Flies in California - Anthrax varicolor - male - female
Copyright © 2006 Harsi S. Parker

Mating Bee Flies in California - Anthrax varicolor - Male Female
Webb Canyon, ~2000 ft. altitude, Los Angeles County, California, USA
June 16, 2006
I photographed this mating pair a couple years ago next to my house (oak woodland/chaparral habitat). I thought they looked similar to some of the other California specimens of Anthrax species shown in the guide, but I am so new to navigating the extensive order of Diptera that I could be quite mistaken. Can someone at least verify the genus for me, and if possible (sorry for the grainy image) narrow down my options for species? Also, can anyone enlighten me as to which one is the male and which is the female? Thank you in advance for all your knowledgeable assistance.
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Contributed by Harsi S. Parker on 27 September, 2008 - 8:12pm
Last updated 14 May, 2009 - 1:45pm

The male's eyes meet in the m
The male's eyes meet in the middle and the female's eyes have a space inbetween them. Hope this helps. Here is a really nice guide for sex differentiation: http://bugguide.net/node/view/154154
… Sharon and Bill Harris, 27 September, 2008 - 11:01pm login or register to post comments

 
That IS an instructive guide!
Thanks so much Sharon, for describing the difference between the sexes and for pointing out that useful overview for me. I'm sure I will be referencing it quite a bit in the future as I continue to try and increase my insect ID-ing skills.
… Harsi S. Parker, 27 September, 2008 - 11:47pm login or register to post comments

ID
Probably Anthrax varicolor
… Andy Calderwood, 27 September, 2008 - 10:37pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks so much...
...for your quick reply. I really appreciate your help. I have never moved one of my images to the Guide before and am wondering if I should just move it to the genus-level page for Anthrax, or if you feel confident enough about it being A. varicolor for me to place it on the species page? (Again, sorry the image wasn't sharper -- they didn't let me get very close before they flew off, so this pic is a pretty massive enlargement of the original image.)
… Harsi S. Parker, 27 September, 2008 - 11:43pm login or register to post comments

 
ID
Why don't you move it to A. varicolor. That's a very common SoCA species and I cannot think of anything else it might be.
… Andy Calderwood, 28 September, 2008 - 4:02pm login or register to post comments

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