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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Orthorrhapha" (Brachycera excluding Aschiza and Schizophora) » Asiloidea » Bee Flies (Bombyliidae) » Ecliminae » Lepidophora » Scaly Bee Fly (Lepidophora lepidocera)
Photo#75531
Skeeter Thing - Lepidophora lepidocera
Copyright © 2006 David A. Dawson

Skeeter Thing - Lepidophora lepidocera
Salem, Dent County, Missouri, USA
September 5, 2006
Size: About 3/4"
I was taking pictures of some wasps when I spotted this little creature. It looked like a big mosquito but it was drinking nectar and not sucking blood.
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Contributed by David A. Dawson on 6 September, 2006 - 7:26pm
Last updated 17 February, 2007 - 10:36pm

Moved
Moved from Lepidophora.
… David A. Dawson, 17 February, 2007 - 10:36pm login or register to post comments

mosquito
Hard for me to believe that this is a moth. Looks like a mosquito to me. Only female mosquitos suck blood; males feed on nectar as this one appears to be doing. Male mosquitos also have pectinate antennae as this one seems to have.
… Ronald D. Hennessey, 7 September, 2006 - 2:52am login or register to post comments

 
...
Male mosquitoes have feathery or plumose antennae like a Chironomid midge. It is intereting that this is another fly with scales though.
… Sean McCann, 7 September, 2006 - 4:28am login or register to post comments

Lepidophora
http://bugguide.net/node/view/2779

Someone else may be able to give you a more detailed name. I photographed one of these earlier this summer.
… Ilona Loser, 6 September, 2006 - 8:33pm login or register to post comments

 
...
Man oh man! I really thought this was a moth! The scales threw me off.
Lepidophora looks perfect.
… Sean McCann, 7 September, 2006 - 4:22am login or register to post comments

...
That is really cool, but not a skeeter. It is a moth of some kind. It sure is interesting!
… Sean McCann, 6 September, 2006 - 7:34pm login or register to post comments

 
Bee Fly
This is actually a Diptera, family Bombyliidae, Lepiophera lepidocera. Really neat one!
… S. Boutilier, 7 September, 2006 - 8:00am login or register to post comments

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