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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Hover Flies (Syrphidae) » Eristalinae » Eristalini » Eristalina » Eristalinus » Eristalinus (Lathyrophthalmus) aeneus (Eristalinus aeneus)
Photo#152263
Large dark metallic brown fly with golf ball eyes - Eristalinus aeneus - male
Copyright © 2007 Arthur Scott Macmillan

Large dark metallic brown fly with golf ball eyes - Eristalinus aeneus - Male
Sunnyvale, Santa Clara County, California, USA
October 14, 2007
about the size of a honey bee but with longer and more narrow proportions. I don't know flies well, but this one has many features that I hadn't noticed before in flies. The middle section of the insect (sorry I am not more familiar with the anatomical names) seems different. Also, the halteres seem more like truncated "mini wings" than the halteres that I have noticed in other flies, which are shaped more like spoons, or paddles. I could just be that they are more visible in this large fly than they are in smaller flies. The head looks much more "covered" than is the case with other flies. This makes me curious about it. The crescent shaped translucent halteres are visible in some of the following photos.

Images of this individual: tag all
Large dark metallic brown fly with golf ball eyes - Eristalinus aeneus - male Large dark metallic brown fly with golf ball eyes - Eristalinus aeneus - male Large dark metallic brown fly with golf ball eyes - Eristalinus aeneus - male Large dark metallic brown fly with golf ball eyes - Eristalinus aeneus - male Large dark metallic brown fly with golf ball eyes - Eristalinus aeneus - male Large dark metallic brown fly with golf ball eyes - Eristalinus aeneus - male
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Contributed by Arthur Scott Macmillan on 16 October, 2007 - 2:18pm
Last updated 6 December, 2009 - 4:49pm

Moved
Moved from Eristalinus aeneus.
… Martin Hauser, 2 December, 2008 - 1:23pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Eristalinus.
… Martin Hauser, 2 December, 2008 - 1:23pm login or register to post comments

Nice female syrphid...and nice photos!
Fancy eyes point to Eristalinus, and I have a hunch this is E. aeneus. Thought you'd like a quick heads-up before I split for lunch. I'll be looking at this one again.
… Ron Hemberger, 16 October, 2007 - 2:44pm login or register to post comments

 
E. aeneus seems to be correct...
...I'll wait just a bit before moving it there though, just to allow for any other input.
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 16 October, 2007 - 3:23pm login or register to post comments

 
Mac, you may want to add that it's a male.
.
… Ron Hemberger, 5 December, 2009 - 1:08pm login or register to post comments

 
You're right!
I should have known! This first frame is not as clear as the others - The hair at the top of the head gives the impression of greater distance between the eyes. Male it is!
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 6 December, 2009 - 4:49pm login or register to post comments

 
Perfect!
...
… Ron Hemberger, 16 October, 2007 - 4:56pm login or register to post comments

 
Yep! no time like the present!
I will delve into the Eristalinus files - Thanks Ron!
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 16 October, 2007 - 2:59pm login or register to post comments

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