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Photo#871841
Diptera Maybe? Calhoun Cty, Fl - Grallipeza nebulosa

Diptera Maybe? Calhoun Cty, Fl - Grallipeza nebulosa
Calhoun County, Florida, USA
December 3, 2013
Size: perhaps 12-14 mm
If not a Diptera or Hymenoptera then ID not important to me at this time. (Of course, it would be nice to know what it is.) It was by itself, hanging out on the side of the house. Not doing too much. Occasionally flying around or crawling. Any tips on weeding out non-Dipter or non-Hymenoptera would be appreciated.

Diptera Maybe? Calhoun Cty, Fl - Grallipeza nebulosa
Many thanks, and especially for the fly vs wasp business. I will be getting some proper books in the near future.

Diptera and Hymenoptera
Diptera have only one pair of wings. The other pair have been replaced by structures called haltares which look like little knobs: http://bugguide.net/images/cache/60H0N0Z050TRRQUR0QTR0QDRMQK0QQJRKQR0P0ORW0FR0QURSQORKQ3RW0H090CRKQK050TQM0CQRQWRJKFQ50TQFK.jpg
Hymenoptera have two pairs of wings and a wide variety of shapes. If it has a "wasp waist" it is probably a Hymenoptera:
http://bugguide.net/images/cache/RRUHJHNH1H8LGZXLUZ7LUZ5LPZGH5Z8HLRXL1ZGLYHWHLR8LFHXLHRXLJHEHVZWHHRUHJHIHTHXH6ZRLDH0LAH4H1H.jpg Ants even have "wasp waists". If the insect have a "bee waist", a thick waist, it can be harder to easily tell Hymenoptera from other insects except they have a kind of bee feeling about them that leads you to look at other features: http://bugguide.net/images/raw/CZSRRH0RTZ0RDZKRJZ0RNLJLWL3LTZXR0HERDL4ROLQZCLERHH7ZQHERVL4RDZXRPLQZPLLZTL7ZDL.jpg

Moved tentatively
Moved from ID Request.

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