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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Asiloidea » Stiletto Flies (Therevidae) » Therevinae » Ozodiceromyia » Ozodiceromyia notata
Photo#18853
mating flies - Ozodiceromyia notata - male - female
Copyright © 2005 Charles Schurch Lewallen

mating flies - Ozodiceromyia notata - Male Female
Henryetta, Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, USA
May 31, 2005
Size: both together 20mm
Male left, female right.
Why do the male and female look so different?
I noticed this also in a pair of march flies I saw.
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Charles Schurch Lewallen on 1 June, 2005 - 9:06am
Last updated 15 February, 2006 - 7:31pm

Ozodiceromyia notata
This one is Ozodiceromyia notata (Wiedemann) (Therevidae - stiletto fly).
… Steve Gaimari, 15 February, 2006 - 7:24pm login or register to post comments

Stiletto flies
These are stiletto flies (Therevidae).

Sexual dimorphism may occur for a number of reasons, and I am sure those are not always obvious to us (or even grossly misunderstood).
The major reasons will involve differences between sexes for propagation: mate recognition/selection (courthsip) or predatory behaviour exhibited by males (collection of nuptial gifts by Empididae, e.g.) or females (blood sucking, hunting, etc.). The sex that has to hunt by sight will have bigger eyes, the sex that needs to be visible to the other sex will have conspicuous colours (at least in their eyes) or structures. I am sure you can image a few.

And we should keep in mind, that sexual dimorphism may have had a function within a species at one time, but that the reason is no longer there and that selection has not yet weeded it out.

Paul

http://www.diptera.info
… Paul Beuk, 1 June, 2005 - 12:56pm login or register to post comments

 
Stiletto flies
Paul,
Thanks for the ID and the information.
I now have a new phrase to use at the next party "Sexual dimorphism".
… Charles Schurch Lewallen, 1 June, 2005 - 1:32pm login or register to post comments

 
Scrabble
Triple word value!

Paul

http://www.diptera.info
… Paul Beuk, 2 June, 2005 - 4:48am login or register to post comments

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