Drosophila with halter showing - Drosophila - BugGuide.Net

HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Acalyptratae" » Ephydroidea » Vinegar Flies (Drosophilidae) » Drosophilinae » Drosophila » (Sophophora) melanogaster species group (Drosophila (Sophophora) melanogaster species group)

Photo#1717426

Copyright © 2019 Arthur Scott Macmillan

Drosophila with halter showing - Drosophila -

Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California, USA
August 18, 2019
Size: ~ 2mm

Is the swollen thing that looks a little like a calypter some sort of parasite?

Also, can sex be determined by the eyes? This eyes seem to have a less regularly curved border, I guess you could say less round. I was thinking it could be that they are slightly larger than the more rounded eyes, this is normally a male trait in flies, so based on that I would guess male.

More generally, is the sex knowable from this photo?

tag · login or register to post comments

Contributed by Arthur Scott Macmillan on 26 August, 2019 - 2:40am
Last updated 27 August, 2019 - 5:35am

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… John F. Carr, 27 August, 2019 - 5:35am

login or register to post comments

swollen thing

are you referring to the haltere?

I don't think the Drosphila sexes can be distinguished by eye shape but the males of at least some species can be distinguished by the darker pigmentation of the end of the abdomen and all males are distinguished by the shape of the genitalia. This fly looks like a male.

… Steve Scholnick, 26 August, 2019 - 10:56am

login or register to post comments

I'm pretty embarrassed for not reallizing it was a haltere.

I'm pretty embarrassed for not reallizing it was a haltere. It was good of you to take the time for a not too bright question. I followed your lead and found that there is also a shape difference with the female not only having a lighter, but also more pointed shaped end of the abdomen.

This is a satisfying information because I am seeing these flies every day now that there is fruit on the ground, and since they are around, I may as well recognize what I am looking at!

… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 27 August, 2019 - 4:18am

login or register to post comments

no need to be

embarrassed. We all make these sorts of mistakes at times

… Steve Scholnick, 27 August, 2019 - 8:35am

login or register to post comments

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version

Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact