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Photo#402174
Villa

Villa
Fort Huachuca, Cochise County, Arizona, USA
May 27, 2010
Watched this fly for some time. It would frequently land on a soft dirt spot on the trail, then wiggle its abdomen from side to side, creating little depressions. Not sure if this is a display or egg laying.

Images of this individual: tag all
Villa Villa

Moved
Moved from Flies.

Behavior.
Definitely ovipositing. Gee you take amazing images! This is probably one of those species that lays eggs randomly, with the larvae tunneling around looking for grasshopper egg pods to eat.

 
Behavior
Hi Eric,
Actually, this is not oviposition. It is a prelude to it. The fly is filling its everted sand chamber, a uniquely Bombyliid organ. You can even see it in one of the shots. Eggs (with sand as ballast) are actually thrown from the air into likely host areas. The genus that attack grasshopper egg cases is Aphoebantus.

 
Clearer view of an everted sand chamber
.

 
Thanks, Eric !
As always, great information.

Reminds me a bit
of this one:



But that's just an observation, not an ID. Wait for an expert opinion.

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