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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Calyptratae » Oestroidea » Tachinidae » Phasiinae » Feather-legged Flies (Trichopoda) » Trichopoda plumipes
Photo#262093
Frankenstein's Fly - Trichopoda plumipes
Copyright © 2008 Tim Lethbridge

Frankenstein's Fly - Trichopoda plumipes
Lake Placid - Archbold Biological Station, Highlands County, Florida, USA
October 26, 2008
I am calling him Frankenstein's Fly because the markings on the head look like stitches left over after some mad scientist inserted a brain.

Images of this individual: tag all
Frankenstein's Fly - Trichopoda plumipes Frankenstein's Fly - Trichopoda plumipes Frankenstein's Fly - Trichopoda plumipes Frankenstein's Fly - Trichopoda plumipes Frankenstein's Fly - Trichopoda plumipes
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Contributed by Tim Lethbridge on 30 March, 2009 - 9:56pm
Last updated 8 April, 2009 - 8:24pm

Moved
Moved from Feather-legged Flies.
… Tim Lethbridge, 8 April, 2009 - 8:24pm login or register to post comments

Yes...
You're right. This is a feather-legged fly even though the fringe is hard to see in this species. I think this is T. plumipes and can be moved to the species page since it seems to fit the description well. Thanks Ron, Tim, and John.

See reference here:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/89252
… Ross Hill, 8 April, 2009 - 8:16pm login or register to post comments

 
Thank you
for your help in identifying Frank, Ross. I will move him to species.
… Tim Lethbridge, 8 April, 2009 - 8:23pm login or register to post comments

Maybe...
This wasp mimic may be an unusual type of syrphid fly. It's difficult to see in this image due to the tinted wings, but on extreme magnification, you can makeout what appears to be the "spurious vein" which is a key feature in syrphids. Syrphids also have "false" wing margins which are formed by veins running parallel to the wing margins, which also seems to be the case here.
… Ross Hill, 1 April, 2009 - 9:31pm login or register to post comments

Really nice shooting, per your norm.
I'm guessing it's a tachinid, not this one but something similar. Hope you get a better ID than this one.
… Ron Hemberger, 31 March, 2009 - 8:35pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks Ron
that does look similar.
… Tim Lethbridge, 1 April, 2009 - 5:17am login or register to post comments

 
Question
were the back legs feathery, like say Trichopoda plumipes?
… John R. Maxwell, 31 March, 2009 - 9:33pm login or register to post comments

 
I wish
I had a better angle to show that. I will add some 100% shots of the leg detail. Looking at the left rear leg, I think so. There appears to be some kind of fringe there anyhow. Thanks for your help John.
… Tim Lethbridge, 1 April, 2009 - 5:19am login or register to post comments

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