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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Acalyptratae" » Sciomyzoidea » Thick-headed Flies (Conopidae) » Conopinae » Physocephala » Physocephala sagittaria
Photo#1464173
Wasp or Wasp-mimic - Physocephala sagittaria - male
Copyright © 2017 sarinole

Wasp or Wasp-mimic - Physocephala sagittaria - Male
Willow Waterhole, Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA
August 20, 2017

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Wasp or Wasp-mimic - Physocephala sagittaria - male Wasp or Wasp-mimic - Physocephala sagittaria - male Wasp or Wasp-mimic - Physocephala sagittaria - male
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Contributed by sarinole on 5 November, 2017 - 9:16am
Last updated 26 March, 2018 - 4:42pm

These are both males here
Both these can be seen to be males...from the lack of a (fairly wide) nub-like "theca" on the bottom of the 5th abdominal segment (and also from the presence of what appears to be more of a "point-like" nub below the 6th abdominal segment).

Many folks see two Physocephala like this and presume them to be a mating pair...though occasionally it's two males, as here.
… Aaron Schusteff, 26 March, 2018 - 4:41pm login or register to post comments

Diagnostic Characters for Physocephala sagittaria
Another Texas record for the reddish form of P. sagittaria. Note the darkened discal cell; dark facial grooves; bands of brown fore-and-aft of the pale quadrate cheek spot; red vertex; red scutellum.

Note: If you're unfamiliar with the terms above, they are illustrated in the thumbnails below:

   

Moved from Conopinae.
… Aaron Schusteff, 14 November, 2017 - 10:36pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 5 November, 2017 - 9:58am login or register to post comments

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