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Photo#448408
ID for a very large Bee Fly? - Exoprosopa clarki

ID for a very large Bee Fly? - Exoprosopa clarki
Claremont, Los Angeles County, California, USA
August 28, 2010
Size: Approx. 20-25 mm
This very large bee fly was seen about 12:30 pm flitting around very low to the ground among dead grass and California Buckwheat at the Claremont Colleges' Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station. Besides its large size (estimated by comparison to the buckwheat leaves), the color of the stripes was strikingly bright. It doesn't seem to quite fit any of the Bombyliids we've previously identified at the field station. Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Update: I've added more photos of another individual that I think is the same species taken in the same area on September 4:



Update 2: I'm moving this photo to Exoprosopa clarki based on Andy Calderwood's comments here.

Moved

Moved
Moved from Exoprosopa.

Moved
Moved from Bee Flies.

Considering the 3 submarginal cells,
this should be an Exoprosopa, looks like in fasciata group. Andy should know this since he's been studying that genus (I just wish he'd publish what he learned).

Interesting
Eyes look rather odd. I've seen similar body stripes on Exoprosopa, but wings were way different. You may want to check Ligyra - large and nicely colored.

 
Maybe...?
Thanks, Ron! This fly did put me in mind of Exoprosopa. We have documented both E. divisa and E. doris at the field station, but this one didn't look quite like either of those. And I agree that the eyes look a little funny. Also, the head seems smaller relative to the rest of the body. I did take a peek at Ligyra, but all the Ligyra shown on BugGuide have spotted wings, which this one doesn't. Maybe it's a Ligyra species not currently on BugGuide or a color variant or something else altogether...?

 
You can rule out Ligyra
because your fly doesn't have four submarginal cells, but three. See also comments above.

 
May have found it by accident. Look here...

 
Hmmm...
Your idea might be on the right track. Let's see if a bee fly expert will weigh in.

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