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Photo#260362
Square-headed Snakefly in California (March) - Negha - male

Square-headed Snakefly in California (March) - Negha - Male
Webb Canyon, ~2000 ft. altitude, Los Angeles County, California, USA
March 18, 2009
Size: ~11-12 mm
A short time after finding a dead female floating in my landlord's pool (see images here), I found this male of what is most likely the same species, also floating in the pool. It looked essentially the same as the female, but minus the ovipositor, slightly smaller in size, and with much longer antennae. He seemed to be quite dead when I pulled him out of the water and as there were still other living insects to rescue, I put him aside to photograph in more detail later. Surprisingly, after about 1 1/2 hours of laying there motionless, the snakefly suddenly begin showing vigorous signs of life. I quickly began to take some photographs before he was dry enough to fly away. I had read in many places that snakeflies were extremely weak flyers and I got to see this truth first hand... Once he was dry, the male took to the air in a fluttery, slow flight-path above the pool and landed promptly right back in the water! I fished him out again and after a few more photos left him on the flowers of an ornamental purple Statice to finish drying off and (hopefully) stay out of the pool.

Images of this individual: tag all
Square-headed Snakefly in California (March) - Negha - male Square-headed Snakefly in California (March) - Negha - male Square-headed Snakefly in California (March) - Negha - male Square-headed Snakefly in California (March) - Negha - male Square-headed Snakefly in California (March) - Negha - male Square-headed Snakefly in California (March) - Negha - male