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Photo#79761
Predacious fly? - Ocyptamus fuscipennis - male

Predacious fly? - Ocyptamus fuscipennis - Male
Herndon, Fairfax County, Virginia, USA
September 10, 2006
Size: about 6-7mm
I spotted this flying red thing checking out all the branch tips of a holly bush. It flew like a wasp and looked like a wasp, so I was surprised to behold the image on my monitor later; it appears it's actually a fly. What is it? And was it looking for something to eat or lay eggs on? The holly did have aphid clusters near many branch ends, and the associated ants, but I didn't see this fly encounter any while I watched. It also wouldn't sit still, so I had a hard time getting a good image.

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Predacious fly? - Ocyptamus fuscipennis - male Predacious fly? - Ocyptamus fuscipennis

Moved
Moved from Syrphinae.
Adults are not predators; they can only sip with their mouth parts; but their larvae feed on aphids. That is why the females are often found near aphids, and I guess that the males hang around where they can find females.
About the wasp mimicry, many flies mimic wasps or bees to make the birds think that they also have a sting. They have not.

 
Fascinating!
My thanks to you and Ron. =)

fly
This looks like a Syrphid -Ocyptamus fuscipennis. Wing pattern here not clear enough to be certain. Check Guide for this species. Charles

 
Yes, Ocyptamus fuscipennis, a male
.

 
Thank you!
With the exception of being able to make out the wing pattern, everything else looks right.

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