Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
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
BugGuide Gathering
Smoky Mountains
University of Tennessee Biological Field Station
August 8-10, 2008
Details...
 
Photos from the last gathering (Minnesota 2007)

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera) » Psychodomorpha » Moth Flies and Sand Flies (Psychodidae) » Moth Flies (Psychodinae)
Photo#7739
Moth? Fly? Other?
Copyright © 2004 Richard Leung

Moth? Fly? Other?
Springfield, Virginia, USA
October 7, 2004
When I first saw this bug, I thought it was a little fly, but after looking at the photo, I think it resembles a moth. It was crawling around a leaf when I saw it, and it was .5cm at the very largest. Any help identifying is appreciated.
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Richard Leung on 8 October, 2004 - 6:51pm
Last updated 15 July, 2006 - 9:08am

Nice shot!
Nice shot Richard,

I've seen these before as well, and they are SO TINY! You got a good shot showing lots of detail.

-T
… Tony DiTerlizzi, 9 October, 2004 - 9:46am login or register to post comments

Great capture
I think you pretty much guessed it: a moth fly. No, seriously.
Guide Page
… Troy Bartlett, 8 October, 2004 - 7:15pm login or register to post comments

 
moth fly
Yes, there are such things. The technical name is Psychodidae. One most often sees them coming out of a sink drain. These are VERY IMPORTANT to the functioning of sewage disposal farms - after the solid wastes are removed, the polluted water is dripped over beds of rocks by a rotor (that is why sewage farms have those big, circular tanks) and the algae on the rocks gobble up the sewage wastes; then the moth flies eat the algae and fly away, thus finally (and cleanly) disposing of waste matter.
… Andy Hamilton, 3 February, 2005 - 7:45am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks, Troy!
This one really had me confused.
… Richard Leung, 8 October, 2004 - 7:21pm login or register to post comments

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

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2008 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by Iowa State University Entomology.

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Site Map
Contact