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Photo#323116
Slow and steady - Toxorhynchites rutilus - female

Slow and steady - Toxorhynchites rutilus - Female
Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland, USA
August 16, 2009
Long legged "fly" with a proboscis like a butterfly. Found on my potted strawflower plant, on the patio. Late afternoon. As I got closer and closer, he did not seem to mind. His proboscis was moving very very slowly in and out of the flower, not quick like a butterfly. I've been in this location for almost 10 years, and have never seen this type of "fly" before. (I'm sure it is not a fly, but that's the simplest term that comes to mind.)

Images of this individual: tag all
Slow and steady - Toxorhynchites rutilus - female Slow and steady - Toxorhynchites rutilus

Female
The male antennae are very plumose, not like these ones. Compare
.

This image would benefit from some cropping to show details better.

All
mosquitoes are flies, but not all flies are mosquitoes, so you are correct to refer to this mosquito as a fly.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Male mosquito.
Pretty distinctive, so maybe someone can give you a genus or species ID. Great image, too!

 
...
It is Toxorhynchites rutilus. Interesting that at this angle the proboscis does not look very curved.

 
Curved
Hi. I just added another pic showing the curve of the proboscis.

 
Curved
Hi :) Thanks so much for the quick ID!! Actually, it wasn't very curved while he was perched here. It seemed like it went into the flower a looonnngg ways down. And he took his time removing it and re-inserting it. It was really really slow. I would guess-timate almost three seconds each way -- in and out. Is that "normal" or unusual?

 
...
I am not sure. I have never encountered this species in the wild.

 
Either
this was a good year for them here locally in Baltimore City, or I am getting much better at finding them. Either way I encountered these fairly regularly this year including on cultivated flowers in my grandfather's backyard.

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