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Photo#109083
BG889 C8069 - Bittacus pilicornis - female

BG889 C8069 - Bittacus pilicornis - Female
Gloster, Gloster Arboretum, Amite County, Mississippi, USA
April 29, 2007
Size: body length 15.0 mm.
We believe this is a Hangingfly in the family Bittacidae. It appears quite similiar to this photo.
Proper placement would be appreciated.
Gayle

Images of this individual: tag all
BG889 C8069 - Bittacus pilicornis - female BG889 C8069 - Bittacus pilicornis - female BG889 C8069 - Bittacus pilicornis - female BG889 C8069 - Bittacus pilicornis - female BG889 C8069 - Bittacus pilicornis - female BG889 C8069 - Bittacus pilicornis - female BG889 C8069 - Bittacus pilicornis - female BG889 C8069 - Bittacus pilicornis - female

Moved
Moved from Bittacus.

Moved
Moved from Hangingflies.

Moved

Moved
Moved from Flies.

Bittacus it should be, but definitely not a dipteran
Bittacidae is in the Mecoptera, not the Diptera.
Arnett, p. 832, lists four genera and 11 species of Bittacidae for North America (1).
Quoting from the family guide page for Bittacidae:
Bittacus is a widespread genus (8 spp.) of eastern woodland. It is often attracted to lights. Rests with wings folded. Hylobittacus apicalis, Black-tipped Hangingfly, is active during the day, found in eastern United States. It Rests with wings outspread and has black wingtips. Orobittacus obscurus is nocturnal and rests with wings folded--is found in California. Apterobittacus apterus is a wingless species found in California.

So as far as I can tell, if it is in the east, and it is a Bittacidae and it is not Hylobittacus apicalis, it should be a Bittacus. Rather tortured logic, but I hope, correct.

Spectacular photos, as always.

 
Thanks Patrick!
I was entering a series of Crane fly images and possibly had a brain cramp when I came to the Mecoptera images.
Gayle

 
Cerebral cramps, Bittacus
Believe me, I get those "cramps", too. (They say Alzeheimer's is hereditary--you get it from your children.)

I believe, too, you can file these images safely under Bittacus.

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