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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Acalyptratae" » Sciomyzoidea » Thick-headed Flies (Conopidae) » Conopinae » Physocephala » Physocephala tibialis
Photo#1243846
Black thick-headed fly with purple wings - Physocephala tibialis - male
Copyright © 2016 Harlan Ratcliff

Black thick-headed fly with purple wings - Physocephala tibialis - Male
Rural, Dallas County, Iowa, USA
June 22, 2016
Size: 12.5 mm
I photographed and posted what I think was the same species from a different location this weekend--It was from Rolling Thunder Prairie in Warren Co. IA. Both individuals were resting near common milkweed. I got much better photos this time. The halteres on this individual were in constant motion, moving up and down about once a second, but it was otherwise at rest or grooming. I think this individual is female but am not sure.

Images of this individual: tag all
Black thick-headed fly with purple wings - Physocephala tibialis - male Black thick-headed fly with purple wings - Physocephala tibialis - male Black thick-headed fly with purple wings - Physocephala tibialis
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Contributed by Harlan Ratcliff on 22 June, 2016 - 8:58pm
Last updated 25 November, 2016 - 4:34pm

Male
...from the absence of any visible "theca" below the 4th & 5th sternite here. Males have the small nub with a "dot-like" central bump seen in your photo above. Females have a larger protuberance attached to the 5th sternite (though it folds forward, and thus often appears to be attached to the 4th sternite). See the "Remarks" section on the Physocephala info page for more details.
… Aaron Schusteff, 25 November, 2016 - 4:33pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Physocephala.
… John S. Ascher, 24 June, 2016 - 9:42am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Thick-headed Flies.
… v belov, 23 June, 2016 - 1:54am login or register to post comments

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