Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#57944
Paragus - Paragus haemorrhous - female

Paragus - Paragus haemorrhous - Female
Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, USA
June 16, 2006
Size: 4 mm
Looks like a spurious vein on this flies wing, which (among other things) finally led me to Syrphidae, which led me to the Paragini; probably a female - eyes not touching at top. Oh, size was arrived at by catching and chilling a couple of them, then measuring - not this one though. I noticed that some seemed a bit longer, probably the males.
The image by Chuck Entz looks like what I've been observing for the last week. Saw some of them mate; they perform a dance of sort prior.
So many insects in my garden, and so little time to go through the photos...
At least I've got this one fairly reasonably placed, though would like some comments as to accuracy.

Moved
Moved from Paragus.

Yes this is a Paragus. The sp
Yes this is a Paragus. The species can only be told apart by the male genitalia, so females are always Paragus sp...
And there is a discussion how many species there are. In Europe the workers tend to split this genus in many species, so every year there are multiple new species descriptions, while in the US the workers tend to lump them together to a few very variable species.
This genus can be found on all continents except South America..The larvae are living on root aphids, so it pays off to be small.

 
Thanks, Martin,
for confirming the genus, as well as for the interesting additional information.

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.